The Phoenix Heart
by Hayyah2000
Summary: In the years before Smaug came, Thorin found his One. But she was human and destined to die. Now during the quest a girl who looks just like her makes Thorin feel confused. I suck at summarizes. Slight Thorin/OC. Rated T for violence, un-beta-ed, I own nothing
1. Prologue

_Flashback_

_Year 2740 _

_Erebor_

_"How will I know you won't forget me"? _

_ "I will always, always remember you", he said, his lips lightly brushing over hers, "my love"._

_ "I'm so sorry" she said close to weeping, "I mean, being what I am". She was human and cursed to die sooner than later. Tears welled up in her eyes and slowly started to cut a stream down her face. This would be her last night, last moment with him, last time she would see the beautiful face of Thorin._

_ "No, don't you ever say that" he breathed, his forehead touching hers, "you are the most elegant and beautiful person I have ever met". Their lips finally touched, it was tender and intimate. Thorin broke away and looked into her signature storm grey eyes that he feel in love with the moment he saw them, smiling he said," even if you don't have a beard". This made her chuckle lightly, this was a side of Thorin for only her to see, the kind, sensitive, and slightly humorous person only for her eyes, ears, and touch._

_ And while she was thinking this, Thorin was just marveling at her laugh, it was like silver bells tuned to perfection. He was also marveling at the rest of her, her hair that was so light and fair it seemed to shine like mithril, and at this time burned orange with the fading sun. And as they looked into each other's eyes in silence, he brushed his lightly callused hands on the part of her arm that was not covered by her winter dress and cloak. Her skin was fair, but the sun kissed and breathed life into her flesh. _

_ She tilted her head onto his shoulder and sighed in content. And there the two lovers sat, enjoying each other's presents and watched the sun set toward the Great Greenwood. Time went on and Thorin shifted and kissed that crown of her head._

_ "I made something for you something for you" he whispered into her hair. His large hand slid to his pocket and retrieved a chain of high quality gold. On the chain was a charm of a gold and bronze bird in flight with rubies encrusted on the wings and body. It was not the sheer beauty of the bird that made her breath catch in her throat, it was the type of bird Thorin had decided to make. In her culture, this is what you would give for someone to heirloom. It was a Phoenix, the bird and guardian of the eternal flame,** the bird who never dies**._

_ "Thorin" she gasped when she found her voice again, but still that was all she could say,"Thorin". She absentmindedly stroked the feather etching on the underside of the bird's belly. _

_ "I wanted to assure you that I am a dwarf true to my word" his hand wrapped around hers," I will never stop loving you. And when we met again in the great halls of another world I will love you tenfold more than I do now"._

_ Tears of bitter sweetness now ran freely down her face, she smiled," do I have to put it on myself"? Thorin scooted behind her, took the necklace and draped it over her collar and snapped it into place. She leaned back into his broad, strong chest and listened to his steady heartbeat. "I will never forget this moment" she said dreamily._

_ Again, he kissed her head and said, "Neither will I"._

_ As the sun continued to sink she started to sing in her crystal clear voice and Thorin rested his head between her head and shoulder, and listened._

Taking over this town, they should worry,

But these problem aside I think I taught you well.

That we won't run, and we won't run, and we won't run.  
And in the winter night sky ships are sailing,

Looking down on these bright blue city lights.

And they won't wait, and they won't wait, and they won't wait.

We're here to stay, we're here to stay, we're here to stay.

Howling ghost they reappear  
In mountains that are stacked with fear  
But you're a king and I'm a lion-heart.  
A lion-heart.

His crown lid up the way as we moved slowly  
Pass the wondering eyes of the ones that were left behind.  
Though far away, though far away, though far away  
We're still the same, we're still the same, we're still the same.

Howling ghost they reappear  
In mountains that are stacked with fear  
But you're a king and I'm a lion-heart.  
And in the sea that's painted black,  
Creatures lurk below the deck  
But you're a king and I'm a lion-heart.  
And as the world comes to an end  
I'll be here to hold your hand  
'Cause you're my king and I'm your lion-heart.  
A lion-heart, a lion-heart, a lion-heart, a lion-heart  
A lion-heart, a lion-heart, a lion-heart, a lion-heart

Howling ghost they reappear  
In mountains that are stacked with fear  
But you're a king and I'm a lion-heart.  
And in the sea that's painted black,  
Creatures lurk below the deck  
But you're a king and I'm a lion-heart.  
A lion-heart, a lion-heart, a lion-heart, a lion-heart  
A lion-heart, a lion-heart, a lion-heart, a lion-heart

_When she finished only the last few golden rays of sun remained. "No I will never forget this moment or you, my dear, dear Amalia"_

* * *

Present

Year 2941

Near Trollshaw

Thorin couldn't help but smile as he dreamed of that love filled night on that hidden ledge on Erebor before he didn't have to think about retaking it. But he was also sad, for that was the last time he saw Amalia. (AN: it has been close to 200 years since he's seen her, do the math). What he didn't know how ever, was that that was not the last time he was ever going to see her.

**Hey! People of the Hobbit Fandom. I'M SAYING THIS NOW THIS IS ABOUT AS ROMANTIC AS IT GETS BESIDES KILIEL IN THIS FIC! DON'T LIKE THAT, SEE YAH. but still stick around. its going to get good**

**BTW the song is "king and lionheart" by OF MONSTERS AND MEN , ONE OF MY FAV BANDS PLEASE LOOK THEM UP!**

**"Okay"?**

**"Okay".**


	2. Three Trolls and an Interesting Rescuer

**_So_ the first chapter was in third person. This chapter and every other chapter will be in various first person views. Enjoy **

_2941_

_Trollshaw_

I'm so dead. I was suppose to be in Rivendell last night. Elrond is going to kill me. This is all I could think about on my way back from my hunting trip. My trips go from the 1st to the 6th every month, it is the 7th. I did well though, two rabbits and a phesent. I had begun to track a doe when three trolls snatched it away. That happened last night. I tracked the trolls until this morning. After that I knew it was in vain, they were either stone or to far away.

I kept walking. The sun just went down, if I make haste I will be back in Rivendell by midnight. Elrond will still catch me, but his wrath wouldn't be as bad.

Yelling and other sounds of battle awoke me from my thoughts. The brave, reckless side of me was drawn out. I speed up, heel to toe, heel to toe, bearly making a sound. Just like the elves taught me to.

When I saw a light, the sounds of battle had stopped and was replaced by uncomfortable grunts and annoyed shouts. This only intereged me more.

I slowed down and pulled my white wood bow from my shoulder, then an arrow.

I crouched next to a large tree on the rim of the clearing. What greeted my eyes were the three trolls that took my deer. Two were fighting to still thier struggling prey. The other was spinning a spit over the roaring bonfire. I was shocked to find this was one of the sources of the grumbling because there were dwarves on the spit. DWARVES!

I put my arrow back in my wood and deerskin quiver and my bow on my shoulder and started to climb the tree. When I felt like a reached a good vantage point, I was only half shocked to find more dwarves stuffed into bags leaving only their heads to be seen piled on each other. Again I pulled out my bow and arrow, just incase. I wanted to see how this was going to play out, suddenly remembering Elladen's whole week lesson in restraint.

"Don' bother cookin' 'em", spook the small troll with the squeaky voice. "Let's just sit on 'me one by one and squash them into jelly".

"They should be sautéed, with a spinkle of sage", said the obvious cook of the three.

"Whatever we do just make it quick", said the large one at the spit. "I don' fancy bein' turned to stone".

That is when an idea came to my mind, all I had to do was stall for time then the sun would come out and. Poof! The day is saved. Out of the courner of my eye I saw a flash of movement and grey. I knew Gandalf-the-grey, my childhood friend, would have the same idea. I knocked my arrow in bow and drew back to my mouth(a motion that was so automatic I could do it in my sleep) and aimed at the spit troll's right third finger. And fired.

* * *

ThorinPOV

This was just a lovely situation that we got ourselves in. Fili and Kili just had to loose the ponies

My rough, brown sack was thrown to the back of the bag group. My feet were stuck underneath Kili's shoulders blades, making things very uncomfortable and my feet started to tingle.

While everyone else in the company struggled and shouted, I remained still, quiet, and stoic thinking of a plan. This is what was going to get us out of here.

I tried to block out the annoying conversation the trolls were having on how they were going to cook us. While I was doing this, my thought diverged when I saw a flash of silver-yellow in the trees. Staring at it I soon realized it was a person, then a female, then a young girl(woman more likely). She was crouching with an arrow in a bow. I watched as she put tension of the bowstring and pulls the noch of the arrow to her mouth, then aimed. It seemed she stayed still for only half a moment before the arrow found its way into the finger of the Spit troll's hand, he wailed in a surprised pain and let go of the spit. Which flew up slightly because his hand went up and out.

The girl immediately jumped from the branch and landed in a graceful roll(which looked impossible because it was at least a thirty foot drop). Pulling out another arrow, she fired it into the annoying, young troll's knee and another arrow into the chef troll's cheek.

All three were wailing in pain, but all became very angry.

* * *

Mystery Girl POV

It was utter and complete chaos in two seconds

Instead of scaring the trolls, I just pissed them off. They threw their limbs in every which direction, I had to keep dodging constantly.

I started using my long knives that make up for the close quarters. I stabbed at them in every piece of flesh I could get near to. Because of that and the constant movement of limbs, made them impale themselves onto the dagger.

This went on for a few more minutes. It came to my attention that I was only fighting two out of the three trolls, this was bad.

Suddenly, I heard a great uproar from the dwarves. I flipped backwards, away from the trolls, and armed my bow. I saw a young blond haired dwarf hanging upside down over the fire in the grip of the great big spit troll. His eyes were the size of dinner plates in fear, the other dwarves were still yelling and struggling to get thier young companion to safety.

"Drop your bow, and we don't drop 'im", threatened the large troll.

Now this was a situation!

The sun would rise any second now, if I wait until then the dwarf would be stuck in a literal stone grip; if I fired my arrow the troll would drop him.

My choice was made, I shifted my aim inch by inch until I reached my target.

And then I let my arrow fly.

**SECOND CHAPTER! WHOA! REVIEW PLEASE!**


	3. Three Trolls and a Young Rescuer

_2941_

_Trollshaw_

Fili POV

I could feel all the blood rushing to my head, making my already throbbing skull feel like it was going to explode. The troll's hand wrapped around my entire legs and over my stomach, making me glad that I didn't eat the soup Bilbo had offered, because it would have been all over the ground by now.

Even upside down I could get a better look at our savior than I did at the bag pile. First of all our savior(as I will call [s]he) was a woman, she had long mid-back length hair, the color of pale wheat. Her face had an angular features and the sternness in her face made her look a lot older than she was, because her body had the curves of an adolescent. She wore tight, deep green leggings with a fitted top that was a hunting camouflage pattern; the top had only one loose sleeve which revealed fair, flexible,and muscled arms.

After taking in her appearance, the situation I was in fully dawned on me. My eyes were now trained on the shining, silver tip of her arrow. As far as I could tell, with this horrible angle, it was aimed at the foot of the troll that was holding me.

"I said, drop it", bellowed the large troll. The grip around me loosened enough to make me slip visibly, but I was caught before I slipped entirely. There was an all out uproar started, though the kabob dwarves should have been the easiest to hear, but my brother and uncle's yells were the loudest. The girl in front of me tensed, pulling further back on the bow string.

I saw in her eyes that she knew it was now or never.

It all seemed to happen in a moment.

She released her grip on the bow sting. The arrow landed in the troll holding, stuck right above the ankle. Fear serged through me as the grip around me loosened dangerously. The scream of the troll made my ever throbbing head beat with the force of a forge hammer. I closed my eyes against the pain, I then found myself in a free fall because the troll completely let go. It seemed like an age before I felt solid ground.

"May the dawn take you all!", I heard the familiar voice of Gandalf.

"Who's he"

"I don' know"

"Can we cook 'im too"

I opened my eyes in time to move away from the large foot of a troll. I rolled until I felt the solid form of a tree. Looking back at the trolls, I could see that they all turned into a gray rough statues of themselves.

The girl who just saves my life, walked over to me with a dagger in her hand and cut open the bag I was in.

When I stood up, she was holding her knife blade and offered the hilt to me. I took it, I couldn't help but notice the way the grip was so smooth, like it was ment for my hand. Elvish.

Looking up I could see that she could handle the half of the company on the kabob better then I could, so I jogged over to the bags. Obviously, I rushed to cut Kili first because, like me, he had a lot of hidden knives, together we were able to get everyone up and out of their bags in no time.

Turning around, I could see our savior was climbing up the support of the spit, the fire was extinguished (probably by Gandalf).

Once on the spit, she balanced and tried to find a weak point. When she found it, she broke it with a well executed kick, then slid down the support. My friends weren't so graceful, for they were still tied to the part of the spit that was on an angle between the forest floor and other spit support.

She walked over to me, she was taller than me, but only by a couple of inches."May I please have my knife back?",she asked. I did, and with that she went to free the dwarf kabob.

* * *

Bofur POV

My companions and I on the spit with all groaned at the same time as we fell.

After we all recovered, I couldn't help but say,"Well that could have been worse". More groans emanated from the dwarves mouths.

The young girl walked over to us with a sharp-looking dagger. Started cutting us down, from the bottom to the top. We just flopped to the ground, refusing to get up.

Though, when we finally did, everyone was facing the girl. She was holding her knife in one hand and her bow in the other.

"Hi", she said, waving with knife hand. We were all in silence, looking her up and down. She couldn't be more than fifteen, small for a human, and had strait blond hair.

Thorin broke the silence,"Who are-".

"Caldeon", boomed a happy voice.

All of us turned to see Gandalf walking toward us, smiling brightly. The girl, Caldeon, broke into a joy filled grin and dropped her weapons to go and hug Gandalf. He bent down and embraced her, like a grandfather to his granddaughter.

When they broke apart, he held her at arm's length,"I thought your hunting trips only went through to the 6th?"

"Yeah, I'm a little late", her voice was a little low for a non dwarven girl her age, but sweet.

Gandalf smirked a little. All the while, here we are shuffling awkwardly.

"Maybe I should repeat my question", said Thorin,"Who are you?"

"This is Lady Caldeon".

Silence

"That doesn't really answer the question", said Dwalin, his arms were crossed across his crest, he didn't look happy.

"Well with all due respect, I don't know who you are either and I don't think giving personal information to complete strangers is wise", she said with slight attitude, that sounded a little like one of Bomber's daughters.

"But you save strangers from trolls?", I just had to ask.

This time she didn't have a smart ass reply, just,"Well, all you need to know is that I need to get to Rivendell before Lord Elrond sends a search party and pulls out all of his hair", with that she bent down to gather her weapons, put them in their proper places, then ran off toward to the giant rock Gandalf just split.

We all turned toward Thorin, he commanded,"Gather your weapons, we must move out quickly". And with that I bent down and brushed off my hat.

**So I changed who is in the grips of the troll. I changed it in the first chapter too. It used to be kili now it's fili because I have some thing for kili later on. Hope you stay tuned.**

**Please review**


	4. A Laughable Dinner Party

_Rivendell_

* * *

Caldeon POV

"Lindir, please don't tell Elrond, there were trolls and dwarves and-"

"Next time come up with a better excuse, you had My Lord worried sick."

"It's been a year and a half since the last time I was late," Lindir was walking away from me so I grabbed his arm. "Please. Please you have to believe me, Gandalf was there too, you can ask him." He looked back at me with his dark green eyes, which softened as he stared into my grey ones.

"Fine," he said defeated,"But don't be late again."

I pulled on his arm and hugged him,"Thank you thank you thank you."

"Just go get dressed for dinner," as he lightly pushed me away. He hated when I hugged him, I like it makes him feel unmanly (_chuckle_).

* * *

It felt so good to take a bath, everyone in gets oneconnected to their room. The water came from the river that ran through The Valley and heated from the various fires in Rivendell.

I found a small vial of rose oil and poured it into the water along with some special soap that made the water bubble.

I always pamper myself to a bath like this every time I come back from a long trip. I let myself get washed and relax for forty-five minutes, then I got out and dried in a snow-white that was soft as a cloud.

Walking into my room, I went to my drawer and slipped into a white silk slip. _Knock knock knock_ came from the door, "Yes," I responded.

_"_Caldeon," it was Lindir," It seems we will be dinning with dwarves this evening," he sounded annoyed. _  
_

"Thank you Lindir. How much time do I have?"

"Twenty minutes."

"Thank you."

I barely heard his soft footfalls as he left. I then went to the wardrobe and pulled out and pulled on a dress, I strode over to a large mirror to make sure everything looked right. The dress was slightly sheer at the bottom and was a light pink with long, loose, translucent sleeves. I took a brush off of a nearby desk and ran it through my hair. I was the only person in Rivendell to own a brush.

I take pride in my hair, it's shiny, smooth, and the color of a pale dandelion. But my favorite part about it was the fact it was the same color as my brother's (I hope I will see him again).

By the time I finished my twenty minutes were up. I left my room and went toward the dinning courtyard.

It's a five minutes walk to the courtyard, so I would be, as Melda says,"fashionably late."

As I walked I heard the, now familiar, sound of dwarves.

I kept walking until I found the small steps that lead to the yard. Lord Elrond was at the head table, to his right was Gandalf, to his left was the older dark-haired dwarf that demanded my name.

Elrond made eye connect with me and stood up, Gandalf followed his lead. The music stopped and all eyes were on me, even the raucous dwarves quieted their voices to whisper, I wondered if they recognized me.

I continued to climbed the stairs, lifting my dress as I did so. I bowed my head to Lord Elrond and walked to the head table, Lindir pulled out my chair and as I sat down he pushed it in. I was seated next to the dwarf, which, for some reason, made me feel uncomfortable.

When I sat down, the music and the talking started again.

I internally chuckled because Elrond always plays this song when I'm here. It's our little joke.

"I hope I didn't interrupt any serious discussion," I said putting on the mask I wore when I'm around serious Elrond.

* * *

Thorin POV

"Not at all, my dear," said Gandalf, it was obvious to me that he was trying to lighten the mood between elf and dwarf. "Thorin and I were just about to show Lord Elrond the blades we recently acquired."

The young girl next to me, Caldeon I think was her name, smiled and nodded, to one who has had no experience with children (a specially teenagers) would think she would be engaged in the conversation. But, I raised both Fili and Kili from when they were young, and it was clear that she was not interested.

I undid the knot that connected the scabbard to my waist and handed it to Lord Elrond.

He pulled the sword away from its scabbard slightly and examined it,"This is Orcrist, The Goblin Cleaver", he said as if restating from a history book,"A famous blade. Forged by the High Elves of the West," he paused,"My kin." Then he passed the sword back to me,"May it serve you well." I nodded my head in respect.

Gandalf was next. Elrond was clearly very excited by this blade, for he drew it out of the scabbard very quickly and with much more energy. "And this is Glambring, The Foehammer, sword of the King of Gondolin, these swords were made for goblin wars in the First Age." Elrond placed the blade on the table.

I made asidewise look at Caldeon, and true to my prediction she didn't take part in the conversation at all, she just picked and ate her salad.

"How did you come by these?," asked Elrond.

"We found them in a troll hoard on The Great East Road," answered Gandalf,"Shortly before we were ambushed by orcs."

Elrond was right on the ball with his next question,"And what were you doing on The Great East Road?"

This discussion is over,"Would you please excuse me?" I said as I stood, picking up my chalice of wine and walked to the shade of one of the many trees in the dinning yard.

I sipped my wine, it was sweet and flowery, so sweet I wrinkled my nose. Defiantly not like the strong, oaty, dwarven ale. So I abandoned my drink to listen in on the not-so-quiet conversations of the company.

I saw Kili eyeing an elf with a hand-held harp,"All though, that one's not bad," I heard him say, his statement made me curious (and slightly disturbed) because I saw the elf was male.

"That's not an elf maid, lad," I heard the gruff voice of Dwalin correct. At this Kili turned to see the truth was that it was an elf man.

Upon seeing his embarrassed face, everyone started laughing out loud. Even I had to hide my chuckle in my vulgar wine.

Looking up, the first thing I saw was poor Caldeon trying to stifle her laugh, her lips were straining to make a straight line, and her eyes looked like they were watering slightly. There was something about that face that looked familiar.

Mentally I shuck my head, dismissing the thought. When I turned my attention to the company I just caught the end of Nori's complaint about the music. Then Bofur stood up as he declared,"Well there's only one thing for it," he then jumped onto the tall pedestal in the center of the yard.

He started to sing.

"There's an inn, there's an inn, there's a merry old inn

beneath an old grey hill,

And there they brew a beer so brown

That the Man in the Moon himself came down

one night to drink his fill.

The ostler has a tipsy cat

that plays a five-stringed fiddle;

And up and down he saws his bow

Now squeaking high, now purring low,

now sawing in the middle.

So the cat on the fiddle played hey-diddle-diddle,

a jig that would wake the dead:

He squeaked and sawed and quickened the tune,

While the landlord shook the Man in the Moon:

'It's after three!' he said.

Again I looked at Caldeon, she had by now had to cover her mouth with both hands to keep from bursting with laughter. But, when Kili threw a pie At a statue next to the elf that greeted us at the front gate, she burst out in laughter.

It was a pretty laugh, youthful, crystal, and pure, like _silver bells tuned to perfection_.

Again, the thought that she looked familiar crossed my mind. I decided to go back to the table to get a closer look. I sat back down and tried to investigate her face without being noticed, which would have been easier if she sat by Gandalf.

She had a small, slightly turned down nose at the tip. Her eyes were big and storm grey with large lashes. Her cheek bones were high and her chin was sharp, but they were softened by some fatty tissue that came with young age.

So much like Amalia.

No, this isn't Amalia. She would have been dead by now. But, no matter how much I kept telling myself this I couldn't shake that fact that this girl I just first saw hours ago looked like my love.

I was so caught up in these thoughts I didn't realize that I was just staring at her."May I help you?" she asked awkwardly when see saw my staring eyes, her chuckling by now had stopped.

I felt embarrassed, my face raised a couple of degrees. I could barely speak because I was in shock,"I-I'm sorry, you remind me of someone."

She cocked her head to the side and made another fake smile then turned to Lord Elrond,"May I please be excused?", she said polity.

Elrond nodded, "Are you going to your classes tonight?"

"Yes", she answered as she stood. She exited down the steps the way she entered.

The head table ate in silence the rest of the evening.

**OMG I'VE BEEN USING THE JOURNAL THAT HARBOR THIS STORY SO MUCH IT IS FALLING APART! IT WAS A BIRTHDAY PRESENT(SO THIS STORY WOULDN'T EVEN EXIST WITH MY FRIEND WHO GAVE IT TO Me**

**PLEASE REVIEW**


	5. The Test

**Check out my free verse poem" drowned "**

BalinPOV

Once we were out of ear shot of Lord Elrond and Bilbo had excused himself to explore, Thorin asked the question I thought he would never ask."Why do I feel that Caldeon was brought into our path by something you have planed."

Gandalf replied with a chuckle,"Because, you have some how have been able to figure out that part of me in the small amount of time you know me."

The three of us continued down the corridor to the room given to the company. I asked,"But why?"

"Well, as you all have found out, I will pop in and out of this quest," Gandalf explained," she has been from here to Mirkwood more than you all will probably ever in your lifetimes, combined."

Thorin stopped and thought this over. "And you expect me to accept her with just that," he said after a moment.

"That is the last thing I expect you to do. Even I say you should test her. Send Dwalin, or Fili, or Kili, in fact I say send them all and yourself to judge her skills."

Thorin responded with a nod,"That is what I will do," then he started to walk again.

When we finally reached the door, I pushed it open and let Gandalf and Thorin enter before me. When I walked in I saw a small fire tended by Bofur in the center of the room, fed by elvish furniture. Everybody was either smoking, or eating, or talking, or singing.

But everyone went silent and stiffened when Thorin called their attention. "Dwalin, Fili, Kili. Come. And bring your weapons." Dwalin stood immediately, while Fili and Kili shared an apprehensive look to each other, but still they both stood and obeyed.

While they were picking up their last scraps of whatever, Thorin turned to me and Gandalf and said,"I respect both of your opinions, but," he gestured to the company,"they need a guiding hand." When he finished Dwalin, Fili, and Kili all loaded up with various hammers, knives, and axes were standing behind him waiting for more orders.

When Thorin turned to leave they followed, leaving me with a silent audience. Gandalf, standing stiffly said in a false cheery voice,"Well, Lord Elrond wishes to speak with me." I gave him an annoyed look,"Shouldn't be late." With that he turned to depart.

"Mister Balin," came a shy weak voice. Turning around I saw it was Ori, sitting criss-cross on his bedroll,"What's going on?"

"Well," I started,"We might be adding a member to the company." Many hesitant and confused looks crossed the eyes of the group.

Gloin asked,"Whom? It better not be an elf."

"No, it is that girl, Caldeon," I answered. "Apparently she takes the journey to Mirkwood often, and knows the way like the back of her hand. They have gone down to test her skills in battle."

I decided to change to subject, so I said ,"Well now, pass me a sausage." I went to sit next to Bofur who handed me a skewer stick with a sausage at the end.

The talking resumed.

* * *

DwalinPOV

After Thorin briefed us on what we were called to do we made our way down various stairs to the training area.

"Thorin," said Kili,"Is there anything specific you want us to do?"

"I want you and Dwalin to test her without weapons. Fili I want you to test her with your knives."

We continued out way down, soon we heard grunts of exertion and the sound of metal colliding on metal.

We reached the bottom of the steps there was a great archway that opened to a large domed pavilion. The floor was tile that made a mosaic which seemed to set boundaries to various areas in the pavilion. Outside were assorted archery ranges and track fields.

In the center though is where my eyes eventually were trained on. Two girls, one blond and one brown-haired, dressed in short smoky blue dresses made for movement. Each were armed with two knives, which clanged together often. The blond shouted in elvish here and there to the brunette. Commands it seemed.

We observed these two for the next five minutes. Over these minutes I saw that the brunette would make a wrong move or get tripped up, and the blond would shout another command and the brown would fix it.

The sparing ended with the brunette loosing her grip on one knife, which banged against the floor in a painful way.

The pair paused, bent over hands on knees and gasping for breath. Now that the two had stopped I could see the blond was slightly older. Confirming my guess that she must have been teaching the brown.

The blond lifted her head showing that she was the girl we came to see.

Standing of straight she gasped out,"Can we help you?" Thorin took this as an invitation to walk up to her.

"I am Thorin, son of Thrain," he said,"this is Dwalin, son of Fundin. And Fili and Kili, sons of Tali."

She responded likewise,"This is my student Melda daughter of Caunion. And I am Caldeon daughter of no one." There was a stale silence after this comment.

Melda was the one it break the silence,"Now that we had an exchange of names. May we help you?"

Thorin said,"Caldeon, have you heard that Gandalf wants you to journey with us?"

"Yes, I was notified an hour ago."

"We are here to test you to see if you can keep up with us," he continued a little smugly.

"Well," she said,"I hope I don't disappoint you." She turned to young Melda,"You can stay if you want, as long as you stay out of the way." As Melda walked over to put her weapons away, I shot Caldeon a look that clearly said 'no', but she returned with a glare that said 'yes, if I say so'.

"Who's first?" Caldeon asked. At this Kili took off his weapons then stepped forward.

"We're going to spare without weapons," he said.

She showed him over to the designated sparing area. Before we started to follow Melda addressed Fili,"He's your brother?" She asked.

"Yes"

Smirking and shaking her head, she said,"He's dead."

I dismissed the comment and all of us walked to the crimson line that marked the boundary.

Inside, Caldeon and Kili went into ready stances, which were surprisingly similar. Hands in fists near the face, wide stance, and grounded feet.

Both were waiting for Thorin's mark to start. "What are we fighting to?" asked Kili.

"To the first to yield or until I say so," Thorin paused,"Begin."

The two stood four feet away from each other, still as statues. Kili shuffled forward, starting early on the offense, Caldeon only stepped back a half step. Kili tried to throw himself toward to deliver a punch, but Caldeon ducked twisted behind him and kicked in the back of the knee. He yelped in surprise as he crumpled forward onto one knee.

She took the chance and jumped onto his back. With his weakened knee and Caldeon's weight, he was brought to the ground. His face to the floor, Kili struggled trying to throw her off. She straddled his back and delivered a hit to the junction of Kili's neck and shoulder.

She must have hit a pressure point because he yelled in pain, and his back muscles tensed. Still straddling his back, Caldeon grabbed his wrists and pinned them to the tile.

"I yield," Kili choked out. That didn't take long. Caldeon jumped from his back, and went to his face offered a hand to which he took. A pained looked crossed his face as his back became straight and popped loudly, to which I even cringed at.

"Good spare," she commented, it was a polite lie. She then looked to Melda, who was sitting on the steps,"Melda, can you get something for Kili here." Caldeon sat him down and Melda gave him a leaf and told him to just chew it. The leaf broke in his teeth with a juicy chunch

"Next?" Caldeon asked.

"Take five minutes. Dwalin is next," Thorin said gesturing to me.

For once, I was not looking forward to this.

**I need some inspiration on how Caldeon is going to beat Dwalin, Remember he can't fight weapons. The poll is on my profile **

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	6. A New Member

**1,000 views!**

FiliPOV

During the five minutes Calderon got herself some water and treated Kili, who was feeling a lot better.

Caldeon and Dwalin were now ready to fight. Thorin and I stood, but Kili stayed seated in a chair Melda brought.

The pair in the center couldn't be more different. Dwalin was a tall, bulky dwarf. Caldeon was a thin girl.

I noticed that Dwalin had removed his knuckle dusters, he wanted to beat her, not hurt her.

"Begin," said Thorin.

It was Caldeon the one that started first. She tried to strike Dwalin in the collar, but he caught her willowy arm and twisted it slightly. She yelped as she was thrown to the ground.

Dwalin looking down on her said,"I will not beat a downed opponent. Up now."

She glared back at him from the floor,"You mean you will not fight a girl." Which made Dwalin growl a little. She did get to her feet and put her fists up again. She didn't get offensive again, she knew better. Instead Dwalin launched to grab her around the legs.

She struggled as she was hoisted onto his back like a bag. She struggled with fists and feet blazing.

Dwalin started to walk out of the boundary over to the white marble fountain close to a wash area. When he stopped at the rim it seemed to dawn on Caldeon on what he was planning to do. "Don't you da-," she was cut off by being dropped into the pool of water. She splashed in the pool, hair, limbs, and water went everywhere.

Caldeon brought her head up, but just as she got a gasp of air Dwalin shoved her back under by her shoulders.

I couldn't tell exactly how long they stayed at this, but Caldeon was shoved under at least six times.

Suddenly Dwalin stopped. He simply dunked her one last time then walked away.

Caldeon breached out of the water gasping, her hair that was strung across her face was wet and heavy like drenched straw. "What on this good earth was that," she said.

"That was me winning the match," Dwalin responded. Caldeon raised herself out of the water. Her hair stuck out in all sorts of directions and her dress was now heavy and a royal blue color.

She sat herself down on the tile,"You didn't win," She said.

"What ya say?" asked Dwalin.

"You. Didn't. Win. I didn't yield and Thorin didn't say stop. You. Didn't. Win." She stood and stalked over to him, not even bothering to dry off.

They both got back into the sparing area. "Uncle," I said,"are you going to stop it."

"I want to see what it takes to make her yield," Thorin responded, we then turned back to the pair in the center.

Dwalin was back in his fighting stance. But Caldeon took a different position than before, she took a stance similar to someone on a track field.

Dwalin advanced with a punch aimed toward Caldeon's stomach. She took a small side step, which wasn't enough because Dwalin's fist still impacted her in the side making her stumble. He tried again, but Caldeon stepped out of they way to quickly. Dwalin had put his whole weight into this failed hit so he lost his balance and curled over.

Caldeon leaped into his back like a cat and wrapped her arms around his neck. Dwalin choked and scrambled to release the pressure on his wind pipe. His face started to turn red.

He tried to get up to slam her into on a wall or something to get her off, but every time he tried he would fall back to his knees.

Kili and I shared a feared look to each other, then with the same look we stared at Thorin. His face was a neutral mask with no hint of sympathy as one of his only living friends was being strangled.

Only after Dwalin's face was beginning to turn purple did Thorin say something,"Stop." Caldeon eminently slid down Dwalin's back. He gasped and fell flat on his back.

She placed her hands on either side of his face. "Breath now, ok," she said in a comforting tone. It amazes me that she could have killed him if she just held on for a few more seconds, yet after winning she takes such good care of her opponent.

Dwalin finally sat up. His face was still red but he was breathing, however uneven. Thorin stepped forward and crouched down in front of his friend,"You ok," he asked placing a hand on Dwalin's shoulder.

Dwalin paused for a moment looking for the right word. He turned to Caldeon and with a grin said,"Damn," which made all of us smile a little.

Thorin then stood and offered a steady hand to Dwalin and lifted him up. He then looked down at Caldeon and said,"Another five minuets and for goodness sakes get dried up. You'll be use weapons next time."

* * *

I unsheathed my swords and balanced them in my hands. Caldeon lead me over to a larger section of the pavilion. During her latest break she changed into a dry blue uniform dress and braided her damp hair. Compared to me she had few weapons, two knives (though some might be hidden), and a bow, but no quiver nor arrows were to be seen.

She unsheathed her knives and took a stance. The knife in her left hand was pointed up and the other was in a reversed grip.

"Begin," came the familiar phrase. Caldeon launched herself at me one of the knives coming down toward my thigh. My sword clashed with her knife. I absorbed the energy flowing through my body then pushed her away.

Then in a downward stroke I tried to hit her, she crossed her knives and dropped to one knee to take in the force I was putting onto her. I kept putting more force in her blades hoping to break her grip.

It worked. One of her knives slipped and fell, I nicked her arm drawing some blood making her gasp.

She stood back up. When I went in with my swords parallel to each other to stroke her remaining knife. But she spun out-of-the-way, her heavy braid became like a flying mace. It struck the back of my neck with powerful force. The strength made my head bow down and disoriented me so much I almost dropped my swords.

I straightened quickly knowing that Caldeon would take the chance of my vulnerable back. Again I brought my swords down again. The sudden sting in her last knife made her drop it with a _clang. _

Even unarmed she didn't yield. I thought back to Thorin's words, "What will make her yield?"

I charged her like a bull to which she jumped out-of-the-way of. When I attempted again, she spun again, but this time she slipped the bow off of her back. She held the ends like a staff.

I didn't charge her eminently like I did before. The introduction of this new device confused and discouraged me. We started to circle each other, never showing each other's backs.

Time seem to slow down as I attempted in vain to make her yield. My sword directed to her hand. Then she did something to which is the most impressive thing use if a bow I'd ever seen.

She fitted my sword between the string and wood of her bow. She then quickly maneuvered the bow so that it was locked in place, then with a sharp twist it was dislodged from my hand.

I stepped away from her in shock. She kept the now in hand and in a powerful, steady stance. Her face held no smug look nor any vain pride of victory.

Her strength was in my mistakes. The only way to win was to be perfect.

She sprinted toward me. I brought my sword Ina defensive position. She jumped and hooked the

curve of the bow over my head. The sudden stress on my throat made me stutter. I fell on my back, my head cracked against the floor.

I closed my eyes and put my hands to my head. My eyes flew open to a cold on my neck. I stared at Caldeon's storm cloud orbs, her knife was at my throat and I had no escape.

"Do you yield?" she asked, her voice almost comforted me. It was not filled with venom like she had won a tavern fight, it was like a teacher pointing out a fact.

She had won fairly. Not an ounce of my pride would spill from my sacred well if yielded to her. "I yield," I said. The knife was removed and she stood. She offered me a hand that I took.

We turned to Thorin, his dark scowl showed the calculating in his head. "How did you do that?" he said.

"Pardon," asked Caldeon.

"How did you learn to use a bow like that?" Thorin detailed.

"Well," she started nervously," I've always been, interested, curious is the right word, about weapons and their functions. I decided some time ago to find a way to make the bow a close combat weapon." She paused a second to take a breath,"So I taught myself how to do that trick."

Thorin thought again. Personally, I want her to come with us, at least I terms with her skills she was capable.

Thorin turned to leave. Dwalin was right behind him, followed by myself and Kili. "You will meet us at the front gate in two days first thing in the morning. If you tell anyone when we are going, you will be sent right back here," up to this point Thorin did not even turn to talk to her, but he did now. "Is that understood?"

"Yes sir," Caldeon said.

We navigated our way back to the room. We were questioned by our companions on Kili's slight limp and Dwalin's bruised neck. To which we explained the events of the and our new company member.

There were a few mumbles, but none questioned Thorin's authority on his decision.

**Longest chapter yet. Hope this makes up for the gap. Please review. **


	7. Her story

Two days later

CaldeonPOV

I wished to surprise them.

The sun had barely broken when I went to the stables. The elves in Rivendell kept and breed horses, but if a lone pony happened to be found it was brought to carry supplies. To told Thorin about it the other day and he agreed to meet here instead.

I fitted the saddle on the grey pony when I heard a rhythmic beat of boots on the ground, I turned to see a young, ginger haired dwarf with a wispy beard walking down the stone path.

"Morning," I greeted.

"Good morning," he said back." We didn't expect you to be here this early."

"I've been up earlier," I said,"I thought all of you were coming."

"No that's why I'm here, to lead you to them," he explained.

I tightened the last strap on the saddle,"Ready."

We lead the pony over the hilly path. The orange sun had come high enough to be seen between two mountain peeks."Beautiful sunrise," he said trying to start a conversation.

"It is," I said,"What is your name?"

"Ori," he said,"And to clarify, the red-head with three points on the top of his head is my brother Nori. And the old hen grey beard with all the braids is my eldest brother Dori."

"I'll try to remember that," I say."I must ask, which one is Fili and which one is Kili? I didn't get that the other night."

"Fili's the blond and the brown-haired one is Kili."

"Ok."

We continued down the path. The world awoke gracefully as we walked. Birds tweeted and the dew wetted my boots.

The path bent around a stone revealing the large expanse of trees and forest before the great and foreboding Misty Mountains. But even closer than that was the even more foreboding Company of Thorin Oakenshield.

They were already staring down the path. Their glares were dark and judgmental, I felt insecure and nervous under the weight of their gaze.

"If you want Narow can carry some of your packs," I said gesturing to the pony. Silently half of the dwarves strapped their packs to Narow.

"Balin you know these lands best, you go ahead," said Thorin. I wondered if they truly knew the knowledge that I have of this area.

For the while it doesn't matter, so I made the first of many steps in this journey.

* * *

Balin POV

Night had drawn in and we made camp. I took my pack off of the poor pony that carried it all day. Bomber made some stew and we ate.

After dinner we all sat around the fire, drinking, or smoking, or thinking, everyone was silent.

Caldeon sat on her bedroll whittling away At a piece of wood. She was queer, we knew nothing about except she was a good fighter and lived in Rivendell. My logic told me we should know something about her."How does a girl like yourself find themselves in Rivendell?" I asked drawing the attention of her and the company.

"It's not a happy story," she said with downcast eyes.

"Not all are," said Dori.

She sighed and put down her wood. She straightened and began," I came from a proud family. My father wanted two sons. One to be his heir and the other to be the general of his army. When my older brother was born he was happy. Who wouldn't be happy with my brother? He's a joy.

When I was born I brought him only grief. My mother died giving birth to me, so the hope of a second son died with her. My father cared nothing for me. I was raised solely by my nanny and my brother.

When I got older his drinking got worse. He would sometimes wake me up in the middle of the night just to slug me across the face."

She took a moment to pause and look at her audience. From the young to the old there were all sorts of different levels of shook and sympathy.

"One day when I was seven he came to me and said he'd had enough. He told me he would take me out to the woods the next day and leave me." Eyes widened and jaws dropped.

"I said goodbye to my brother and everyone who cared about me, then I had to go. I could only bring the clothes on my back and a flip knife.

The first night was cold, the second day I made it to a path. I was so tired I feel asleep right there and hoped good people would find me." For the first time she smiled.

"I woke up and an old, tall man was sitting down in front of me. He asked me how I got there. I said,'I was left here.' He told me his name. His name was Gandalf the Grey. He picked me up and said he would take me somewhere safe. He brought me to Rivendell." She finished and looked into the eyes of every person."And I've been there since."

The silence was a scary thing. No one would have known otherwise that she had gone through hell, though calm she seemed so happy.

"Do you ever think you'll go back?" Kili asked quietly.

"Maybe when my brother is the head of the family," she said," I just hope that he won't turn out like our father."

"What were their names?" said Nori.

"My father is Deerdal and my brother is Regardo."

"Do you think you'll forgive him?" I asked.

He has to come to me, look me in the eye and beg for forgiveness," she said with vigor,"I will not go to him."

"I'm tired," she said. She took out a blanket and laid it over herself."Goodnight."

Everyone said goodnight, then they too, one by one went to sleep.

**Little short chapter **

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	8. The Mountain Pass

A few days later

KiliPOV

Hunting has always been my forte. No one even thought about teasing me and my "elvish" bow when I walked home with a deer on my back.

But hunting in the east is impossible. The terrain was rough and I couldn't even spot a squirrel in the dense foliage. Fili and I have tried to find dinner for at least and hour with no results.

Currently Fili was a couple of yards away from me to cover more ground."Kili...Kili," Fili whispered beckoning me to join him. I quietly made my way over to him. Crouching down he put his finger to his lips then to a patch of trees. A small stag was grazing peacefully . I knocked my arrow and aimed at our dinner.

_Crack. _The deer raised its head looked around, then ran off."You could've shot it," Fili said.

"You try next time," I said back. We froze at the sound of another crack. I was just about to aim my arrow at an area of bushes when a huge warg launched itself at Fili.

"Fili!" I screamed. The beast planted a large paw on his crest as my brother thrashed around in its hold. I panicked and shot an arrow at the warg, but only was able to get its ear. The beast's attention was now toward me. I staggered back and tripped over a log. The thing was coming closer and closer. It was almost about to pounce When Fili brought his twin swords down on the creature, killing it.

He pulled me to my feet,"There could be more," I said.

"I know, we need to find to others," Fili said then when took off.

* * *

ThorinPOV

"They've been out there a long time," said Bilbo. I gazed at the position of the sun. It has been close to two hours since to boys left.

"They're probably fine, lad," Balin reassured Bilbo. I kept telling myself that everyday since we left the Blue Mountains, and every time I do I know I could be lying to myself.

Suddenly Fili and Kili burst through the trees. "Orcs," said Kili,"Orcs and wargs."

Alarm flurried through my chest, "How long ago?" I said.

"Only a half hour," said Fili.

"We need to have out now," I commanded. I stood on one side of the clearing waiting for everyone. After Caldeon had let the pony go she went instead to the other side."Why are you all over there?" She asked.

"We're trying to get away from orcs isn't that obvious." said Nori.

"If you want to get run down by orcs then you go that way. We have to go through the mountain pass," She said gesturing to the mountains.

The company didn't know who to follow, though all looked to me."I know Gandalf told you about my knowledge of this land," she continued. " I know what I'm doing."

This girl is relentless. And though my stubbornness showed, I couldn't help but think that I could be wrong and she is right."Lead the way," I said, giving in. I walked over to her and was followed by the company.

* * *

CaldeonPOV

I love and hate thunder. The thunder that I hate is the kind that eminently follows lightening, the kind that rattles the teeth and bones and stings the ears. But, I love thunder when my brother was there to collect me in his arms and tell me that the thunder was just the clouds sneezing because he had a cold.

But here, on a narrow mountain pass, there was no brother and the clouds were not just having a cold. Here the ground shook, the wind blew, and the rain, stung my eyes.

"LOOK OUT!" someone yelled.

The ground shook with a great force and I felt almost blind. I squinted and regain my vision."Giants! Stone Giants!" I heard another voice. Though I had heard of the giants and their power and existence, I never believed them.

I felt the ground moved again, but this time it actually moved, not just vibrated. The piece of rock we were standing on was lifted in the air and rocked side to side. I was pushed forward by the momentum and almost fell had it not been for an arm that circled my waist and pulled me against the rock. Turning to the side I could see that it was Bifur.

The next thing I knew was the ground suddenly stopped moving. I heard a bunch of yells telling us to move, so I did. The group piled onto a piece of stable mountain. Adrenalin pumped through my veins and I thought that this episode was over.

But out of no where the other half of the company swung by on another piece of the mountain, yelling and screaming. Kili was crying out his brother's name in great distress.

The stone started to make a direct course to the mountain. The yells and screams were more deafening than the rain and thunder. The rock finally collided with the ledge and Thorin let out a cry of anguish. Everyone began to run to the site.

"Fili!" Thorin cried. We rounded the corner, my heart and mind preparing me to see bloodied, mangled bodies piled on top of each other.

Instead, I saw a bunch of _alive _piled dwarves. I let out a sign of relief. I scanned the company, I could see booted feet, bearded faces, and bulky bodies. Someone was missing.

"Where's Bilbo?" I said fearing the worst. Everyone snapped into action. We heard a distressed cry from over the edge. I laid on my stomach and peered over the cliff. Bilbo stared wide-eyed and desperate. "He's here," I called. Thorin reached down next to me to grab Bilbo's arm. He started to hull him up, when he was close enough I too grabbed his arm.

But Bilbo was starting to slip. "Dori!" said Thorin. Dori took hold of the same arm as Thorin. Thorin went underneath Bilbo to push him up. When Bilbo was back on stable ground, Dwalin come to pick up Thorin.

"I thought we almost lost our burglar," said Dwalin.

"He's been lost ever since he walked out of his door," said Thorin. I didn't think Bilbo deserved such scorn.

"We found a cave," yelled Fili and Kili. We followed to where they were. The cave had a low ceiling and was cramped, but it was dry. Everyone unloaded their packs and got ready for bed. While Thorin laid out his bedroll I decided to gather my courage to face him. I stood next to him and waited for him to notice me.

"What do you want?" He said.

"Bilbo didn't deserve what you said to him," I said.

Thorin turned to me,"How long have you've know him? A week? You're to naïve to know what he does and doesn't deserve. He almost got us killed today."

He turned away, but I grabbed his arm,"He didn't make the mountain come alive. He didn't want to be hung in the edge of death. And if this is what you truly think of him you would've let him die," I hissed." Sleep well." I went back to my bedroll and ignored the glares on my back.

* * *

"Wake up! Wake up!" someone yelled. Then the floor fell. Then we fell.

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	9. Goblins in the Deep

**Warning:Possibly sensitive material **

BilboPOV

The free fall was terrifying. When I landed I hung upside down. I heard a great screech. It chilled me to the bone. Looking out I saw the most disturbing site. Goblins.

Horrible, deformed creatures with sharp teeth and talons. They were the nightmare in children's dreams. And the gruesome reality to adults.

The hundreds of goblins grabbed and snapped at us. They pulled us out of our cage like cradle. The hands of one latched onto my arm and dragged me around. The hand was oily, bone, and just covered in all sorts of filth. Just touching the fowl creature was defiling and revolting. Thankfully the hand was removed and I took the chance to duck out of sight.

After the goblins disappeared behind a corner. I brought up my head and saw that I wasn't alone, Caldeon must've had the same idea as I. She drew her daggers and I drew my sword which was glowing a bright blue. "Come on," she said. We walked to the bridge when half a dozen goblins dropped in front of us.

They surrounded us quickly. Caldeon struck them down with ease. But I had more trouble and was pushed outside this deadly circle. One of the dreaded creature followed me out, it brought its cruelly made sword into harsh strokes which I blocked as best I could.

A scream like yelp interrupted my attention, I turned and in my distraction the goblin threw itself ya me and we both went over the cliff. And yet again I was in free fall.

* * *

KiliPOV

"Start with the youngest," chills went through my soul as the disgusting creatures grabbed and pulled me to the foot of the throne. They held my arms behind my back and tied them into place. A tall goblin with a huge hump stepped to me with a knife. "Tell me dwarfling, where are you going?" the Goblin King said.

"Anywhere that's not here," I said knowing that I would regret it later. The tall goblin put the knife to my cheek. I cringed as more pressure was applied. I felt the smallest drops of blood fall down my face.

Somewhere behind me there were sounds of struggling. I thought it was the company, but when I was pushed to the side of the platform I saw the hoard of goblins parted. Caldeon was thrown in front of the king.

Her left lag was dripping blood from a ragged cut from her knee to the ankle. She propped herself on her elbows and glared, but it could be seen that she was trying to hide the amount of pain she was in.

The Goblin King looked her up and down like she was a new present that he couldn't wait to play with. Chuckling he said,"Thorin Oakenshield, I didn't know you brought whores on your journeys." Thorin's eyes became dark. The king turned to Caldeon,"Where are your employers going whore?" he said."I've bet they've told you something in the night." Caldeon spat on the ground at his feet.

The king made an invisible gesture and dozens of goblins came upon her. I heard every scream, grunt, and yelp with a flinch. The hellish city cheered at the sickening sound of cloth echoed through out the cavern. The company struggled against their captors.

Something shimmered in the torch-light as it flew out of the circle. When it hit the ground Nori picked it up.

The goblins dispersed from Caldeon. She was striped down to thin underclothes that only covered her breasts and the area directly below the hips, these were her only protection from the groping hands of these beings of the deep. Her skin was already starting to bruise especially around her ribs. Now that she was exposed the company started struggling again."So do you know where you're going now," said the Goblin King. Caldeon spat at him again but this time the spit was bloody and forced painfully. The tall goblin came and slapped her across the face which made the little progress she trying to get up again in vain.

The company continued to struggle to the point that my guards tethered me to a pole to focus on them. The king had Caldeon pulled to the throne by her hair and put a dagger to her throat. Her yelp of fear made the company still.

"Have mercy. She's a child," said Thorin.

"She's a little whore. And you don't see my logic. A good whore needs to be broken first. I think I'm doing you a favor," said the goblin."Let's continue then."

The tall goblin stood with a whip in hand next to Caldeon. She curled herself into a ball and whimpered. The whip came up and down onto her wounded leg. Her scream cut through me like a knife. It was desperate and pained.

One. Two. Tears started to run.

Three. Four. Her voice was going horse.

Five. There were no more screams, just sobs.

Six was about to fall when a blinding white light filled the dank abyss.

"Take up arms. Fight. Fight!"

* * *

CaldeonPOV

I closed my eyes and savor end this lone moment without pain. Each breath was painful as my sore ribs were forced to move. My leg was like a torch and I didn't dare look at the mangled piece of flesh it probably was now. I struggled as foreign hands lifted me but when I did the twisting my abdominal muscles made me gasp for breath.

"It's ok, lass. It's ok," through my tears I saw Dori's face. Now instead of struggling I clung on to his coat with all the strength that my body would allow like a life line.

I couldn't remember most of the escape. I could remember the pain I was in as I was carried out. The jostling twisted my wounded leg and the bruises made my body so sensitive.

I could remember falling. My eyes were wide as I fell. I almost wondered of this was dying, but when protective arms encircled me and the force of the ground was felt in every fiber of my body, I knew I was still living.

We made outside when I could smell fresh air and birds could be heard in the distance. I heard Gandalf counting off the company. I would have tried to fall asleep if it wasn't for what he said next. "Where is our hobbit?" he said.

"I'll tell you where he went," said Thorin."He went right back to the Shire like the coward he is." I felt tears sting my eyes again.

"Don't you dare say that," I said, my voice was weak and it hurt to talk. Everyone turned to the brokenness of my words. My speech cracked as a new wave of emotion hit me."He fell."

Thorin's face fell when he realized what he did. I think no one should call a dead man a coward.

"I'm here. I'm here," Bilbo came running down the hill. Everyone stared at him in shock. I must had been a total mess that day because yet again I was in tears.

A feeling of faintness came over me. I went limp in my handler's arms. I was gently shook, which sent a shock of pain down me body and I didn't have the energy to cry out.

"She's loosing blood," I heard faintly. By this time my eye sight started to fade. I felt the cool summer grass on my back. There was a quick rip of cloth that I flinched at and pressure directly below my knee.

The increase of pressure now on my lower leg made my cut drip more blood. A scream tore at my throat and it felt as though my throat was going to bleed as well.

I continued to thrash against the thing of pain around my leg. I became short of breath as hands held me down. My mind was a void of darkness where the only thing in existence was pain. Soon the pain stopped and my mind faded into a peaceful blackness.

**The plot thickens**

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	10. Still Healing Wounds

ThorinPOV

We gazed at our lost home in the distance. From here it was just a small stone beyond green woods. The eagles circled and left soon after. They were truly beautiful creatures. Large, magnificent, and other worldly.

There was a cry of a bird in the distance when I turned I saw yet another eagle behind us. It was a small, darker feathered eagle that flew to the rock. The great bird deposited its load gently to the ground. Caldeon was placed on the ground, she was still in the same condition as I last saw her which didn't assure me.

I felt pity and even physical hurt to see this child in so much pain. I walked and scooped her into my arms. She grunted slightly and was stirred from her unconsciousness, her eyes creaked open and she wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Thorin." said Dwalin,"You should let one of us carry her, you are still injured."

"I'm fine." I said," We should take advantage of the sun and get as much distance between us and the orcs." Gandalf strode to the stairs craved into the stone and I followed suit.

I looked at Caldeon. Her face was covered in grime, sweat, and dried tears. It was a mask of concentration. Her breathing was erratic and she was shaking. If the circumstances were different she would have just been an exhausted child in my arms. But the truth is that she was just tortured and she was in pain.

Though she has been a pain in my ass, I couldn't help feeling affectionate to her. In so many ways she looked and acted familiar, but who I couldn't place. So I continued down the stone path.

* * *

CaldeonPOVDREAM

_The_ _plains of my home were before me. Dry, golden,tall grasses were illuminated by the early summer sun. I ran my hands through the grasses, it felt like smooth cloth._

_I sensed a smile spread across my face and a laugh escaped my mouth and I ran. I whooped and yelled and tumbled through the field. I just collapsed on my back and stared at the sun, only then did I realized the white gown I wore._

_I stood back up looked at the world around me. I spotted a figure on the horizon. "Hello." I called out. I walked closer and realized the person was male and his back was to me. He had long hair that was the color of the grass around us. He looked around the age of eighteen. Even from behind he looked familiar. _

_Then it hit me,"Regardo."I said hesitantly, he didn't turn."_Regardo." I said again starting to get optimistic."_Regardo!" I finally yelled happily, I ran to him. I held his shoulder and turned him around. His face had a hooked nose like me and he had grey eyes like me, but they were blank. ____  
_

___I hugged him and buried my face into his shoulder. He didn't put his arms around me and he stayed still. Until a moment later when he pushed me away."_Regardo." I said confused. His eyes were cold and his lips were twisted into a mocking grin. He closed the distance between us and grabbed me by the shoulders. Then he shook me, hard. He pushed me to the ground.____

____I opened my eyes and suddenly I was in my old room. I laid on an intercut rug above oak floors. The man above me was my father. Fear tightened my crest,"Please." I begged,"Please." ____

____"No child of mine begs." he said spitting out the last word. He brought his foot back then down onto my ribs. A shout came from my throat. I closed my eyes and curled into a ball.____

____My eyes flew open when hands grabbed at me. Goblins surrounded me, their eyes were dark and lustful. "Whore. Whore. Whore." they chanted. They tore at my clothes and groped my chest through the thin fabric of my underclothes. I screamed and yelled as the fabric was torn away and I had to cover my modesty with my arms. I started to cry as fear encircled me.____

____"Please. Please." I said. They only laughed as they pulled at my arms. A moment later all the hands and laughs disappeared, but I continued to cry. I shivered, something soft and warm was placed over me and I clung to it like a life line. A gentle hand stroked my hair, at first I was afraid and flinched, but some soothing force calmed me down. The kind person collected me in their arms. I rested my head against his solid chest and cried.____

____"It's ok. You're safe now." he said. I looked up suddenly to see Thorin. I was in the arms of Thorin Oakenshield. His raven locks fell over his shoulders in soft waves and intercut braids, the way I would imagine him if we weren't on the road. His eyes were soft oceans blues, not the shards of ice that I was used to. "They won't come back to hurt you. And if they do I'll be here." he said."I will be here and there to take care of you." I felt comforted by his words and the warmth in his eyes. I let myself lean into him and listened to his heart beat. "It's ok now. It's over. Wake up."____

* * *

BalinPOV

We couldn't have entered Beorn at a better time. Caldeon started to wake. Her breath came in gasps like she was sobbing. Thorin laid her down on a pile of straw while Oin and I prepared to care for her leg.

I tried to focus on my work but Caldeon's whimpering distracted me. She woke up with a gasp and a small yelp. Fili and Kili came forward to help but Thorin shooed them away."Give her some space, laddies." I said. Thorin pulled her head into his lap and calmed her down.

"We're going to treat your wounds ok." Thorin said."I'm sorry, but we are going to have to hold you down." She nodded.

"B-before you do my leg, could you check my," Caldeon took a breath,"Could you check my ribs."

Oin being the more skilled physician went next to her and put his hearing trumpet to her chest. He pressed his hand to her chest. She had an intake of breath at the sudden pressure."They're just bruised, it's gonna hurt but it could be worse."

I made eye contact with Gloin and Dwalin and nodded. They knew what to do, they went to either side of Caldeon and placed and hand on her ankles and the other above her knee. I untied the tourniquet as gently as I could.

The wound was just a mess. The first cut caused by the goblin blade was deep and wide, lazily dripping blood, and though the whip marks were shallower it made the injury look more inflamed. The area around it was swollen and red and just looked like it was radiating heat and pain.

I had to look away to focus on what was needed to be done. I looked to Fili and Kili, who looked eager to help, and told them to be her comfort.

Oin crushed some herbs and such in a mortar and pestle and added water the thin it out. I found a strip of leather and placed it between Caldeon's teeth. She closed her eyes and clung onto Thorin's shirt.

"Could you please?" said Oin to me holding the mixture of herbs. He took a globule of the stuff and rubbed it into Caldeon's wound. She yelled behind the leather and she tried to get her legs away from the thing of pain. By the end she had several new tear streaks and the leather had teeth marks. Oin took some bandages and wrapped it around her leg. I reached and grabbed the leather.

"It's all done." I said. She collapsed into Thorin's lap and took several deep breaths. When Thorin went to stand she whimpered and held onto his coat.

"Please, please don't go." she said. So he sat back down and put her head in his lap.

Everyone prepared for the night. "Do you need anything?" I asked Thorin.

"A blanket please. We'll find her some clothes tomorrow." he said. By now Caldeon had fallen asleep. I hoped and prayed that she wouldn't be plagued by the events I the day.

**Please Review**


	11. Father and Daughter

**Caldeon is 14-15 years old**

ThorinPOV

Golden sun broke through the windows right into my eyes. It was an hour after day break. I tried to get up, but I felt a weight in my lap and I remembered Caldeon was there. Her eyes were open and she looked up at me,"Good morning." she said.

"Morning." I said," How long have you been up?"

"Don't know."

"How do you feel?"

"As well as can be expected." she said.

"Can I get up?" I asked she smiled and nodded. I gingerly lifted her head and placed it on the straw. I stood and brushed off the lingering straw. "Do you need anything while I'm up?"

"Water please."

I walked into the next room to find Gandalf talking to a tall man wearing rough spun clothes."Thorin," said Gandalf,"this is our host, Beorn." The tall man turned to me and nodded.

"Thank you for your hospitality," I said with a bow." Might I ask where I can find some water?"

He pointed at the door,"There's a pump right outside." He handed me a large wooden cup. I drew the water and walked back to Caldeon.

"Do you need help?" I asked when I offered the cup.

"I hurt my leg, not my hands." she said taking the water. She brought it to her lips and took several gulps."So what's the plan?" she asked.

"I don't know." I said.

"_The Great Thorin Oakenshield king under the mountain off to claim Erebor _doesn't have a plan."

I smiled at her teasing,"We'll wait until you're healed to go on." She nodded and we sat in silence.

One by one the company awoke. I left Caldeon to eat and arrange the day. I came back to watch Oin change her bandages, I stayed some distance away even though I wanted to gather her in my arms when she made the slightest wince.

* * *

CaldeonPOV

I stayed on my pile of straw all day. I was glad that Ori showed me how to knit so I could have something to do. Around mid-day Beorn gave me a rough spun dress with clay button, I thanked him. Before I knew it night had come. "What ya makin' lass." I looked up to see Bombur with several bowls in his hands. I gazed at my knitting project.

"I really don't know." I said chuckling.

"Ya hungry?" he asked.

"Please." he handed me a bowl. When he stepped to the side I saw the rest of the company, they were either handing out soup or already eating. "You all can sit at the table, I hope I'm not forcing you to eat here." I said.

"We want to sit here." said Kili. I smiled and ate my soup. There was ale at dinner and very soon many of the dwarves got drunk. Dwalin pulled a fiddle and strummed a lazy tune, while Bofur and Nori(dead drunk) started to sing and dance. I laughed at their childness even though it pained my ribs slightly.

After a while things started to calm down. The bowls were taken away, I leaned back on my straw. I saw something shimmer on Nori's belt."That's mine." I said.

"What?" He asked.

"That necklace is mine."

He picked it off of his belt,"You own a piece of dwarfish jewelry?" I never knew it was dwarfish but I didn't want him to know that.

"Yes. And it's mine," I said. I was starting to get annoyed.

"Just give it to her Nori." said Fili. Nori gave me my necklace and I snapped it into place.

Thorin narrowed his eyes and crouched in front of me. He touched the golden phoenix pendent. "You said this is yours?"

"Yes, it's an heirloom."

"By whom?"

"My grandmother."

"Who was your grandmother?"

"Lady Amalia." He looked at me in shock. His eyes searched my face all the while he clung to the pendent. Suddenly he stood and left the room.

Balin then inspected my necklace. "Caldeon is there a story with this?" He asked.

"Lady Amalia fell in love with a man that she wasn't allowed to love. He gave it to her as a token of love." I said.

"Thorin made this. He fell in love with Lady Amalia when she and her father traveled to Erebor." I stared at him in disbelief and then to where Thorin left.

"He's not angry, he's just shocked." said Kili. "I've seen him do that before."

I leaned back into the straw. Everyone sobered up and got ready for bed.

It was around midnight when Thorin returned (I was still awake). He sat next to me. The silence was awkward and strange.

"I was wondering what was so familiar about you." He said."I want to be close to you, I want you to be safe, I want you to be happy. Has Lord Elrond formally adopted you?"

"No. Truly I never felt like his daughter." I said.

"How would you feel if I adopted you?" I stared at him in shock. In all truth I wondered what kind if father he would be. All I knew for sure was that he wouldn't be like Deerdal.

"Do I have to answer now?" He shook his hand no. "I'll sleep on it." with that I turned to fall asleep.

* * *

It didn't take a night. It took three.

A day after that night I was allowed to walk small distances with assistance. One night I felt really sick. I was hungry but the thought of food made my stomach turn. When Fili offered me a hand to escort me to dinner I refused and said I wasn't hungry. My stomach ache wasn't the only reason I didn't want food, I had a deep, sharp pain in my lower abdomen.

Everyone was eating when I felt something warm run down my legs. I pushed my dress up to see red, sticky blood covering my inner thighs. I started to panic, I had only a small idea on what was happening. Elves believe that information on changes of the body came from parents, Lord Elrond felt that job shouldn't be his, Arwen told me a little.

I don't know what to do or who to tell. But, maybe,"Th-Thorin," I called. He turned around in his chair to look back at me, he saw the worry in my eyes and came to me.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm bleeding." he went to check my leg. "Not there." He first looked confused then a look of realization cast over his eyes. I moved the dress to show him my thighs.

"First time?" he asked, I nodded.

"I hurt right here," I rubbed a horizontal line over the place were it hurt.

"I'll get you cleaned up then you should get something to eat, it makes it feel better."

"How do you know?"

"I have a younger sister." he said. He left then returned with a warm wet cloth and a dry one. He thoroughly cleaned my thighs. After he was done he told me to put the dry cloth between my legs.

He took me to the table. The company looked both worried and suspicious. Bombur passed me a still steaming bowl of soup."You ok?" he asked.

"Do you want me to tell them," Thorin whispered and I nodded."She's a woman now." he said to the company they all smiled and nodded in understanding.

Dinner was silent mostly. Afterwards Thorin escorted me back to the straw, before he left I touched his arm and whispered in his ear,"You can adopt me now." We smiled at each other.

He waited until everyone was in the room before started the ceremony. He took a piece of my hair on the left side of my face close to my neck and started to braid. I heard a few gasps and whispers from the company. Looking over Thorin's shoulder I saw a few of the them smiling like Balin, Dwalin, Fili, and Kili, who Thorin probably told.

After Thorin clasped the braid with one of his own bead Balin stood and said in an authoritative voice," We all bear witness to the bonding of Thorin Oakenshield and Caldeon as father and daughter. It is now our responsibility that nothing or no one separates them or denies their connection. As Mahal as our own witness we swear."

"We swear." said the company in unison. The ceremony was over and everyone got ready for bed. Tonight Thorin slept beside me.

"So, you're my father now." I said rolling the bead.

"Aye, and you're my daughter." I smiled, it felt natural now to have someone to call father.

**I realize that stuff in this chapter is a little disturbing. If you ask nicely and if there is a majority of people who don't want certain parts it can be removed in a week.**

**Please review **


	12. Into the Woods

**Bold** is elvish

GandalfPOV

It was a relatively calm ride to the edge of Mirkwood. The air was clean and the sun was out. But the closer we got to the wood the air smelled of rotting flesh and a dark shadow came over the land.

"It get's worse every time I go through." said Caldeon. She dropped off her pony and gazed at the desolate forest. She went to the gate and touched an ivy covered stone statue. She seemed to look around in the trees, searching for something.

"What it is?" Thorin asked in concern.

"Gandalf, where did the mocking birds go?" Caldeon said in a sad, dreamy voice.

"They flew away dear, those who stayed either died or are dying. It is becoming to dark in their home." I said, her eyes became depressed. She whistled a little tune then strained to hear something. A weak tweet came from under a leaf, she disappeared from our sight for a moment.

When she returned she had something cupped in her hands. "The last one." she declared softly. She placed the little bird in a pocket on her saddle. She grabbed her bag and let the pony go. "Beorn would want his ponies back." she said so the company followed by example.

I was just about to leave when I heard Bilbo say,"Are you not coming?"

"No my lad, I something to finish. Good luck to you all." I squeezed my knees to make the horse go. "Do not stray off the path."

* * *

FiliPOV

We had just crossed the river when I felt a wave of vertigo. It became difficult to walk and my head hurt making me dizzy. I ride to focus on what was directly in front of me. But I couldn't do it, I almost fell, fortunately I was next to a tree that caught my fall. "You ok?" Caldeon asked helping me to my feet.

"Yeah." I said rubbing my head.

"The air is getting to you isn't it?" she asked.

"I guess so. I feel dizzy, like everything is backwards."

"It's normal, even I have only built up a small amount of tolerance." she then whispered. "Don't tell anyone but I haven't gone through the whole wood by myself."

"You haven't." I said on disbelief.

"No. I usually collapse at some point, then Thranduil's men find me and guide me to where I need to go. We won't go through the whole way either without at least running into some elves."

"Why do you think that?"

"Mocking birds used to be everywhere, they would sing any song that you sang to them. They are beautiful, pure, and are like the canary in the mine. The less there are the more likely we are going to need help from the elves."

"You haven't told Thorin?" I asking wondering.

"When we get desperate I will. But even then what are the chances my father will actively seek help from Thranduil?" She said.

"None." I said flatly.

"And I can tell you that the chances that Thranduil will help us selflessly are the same."

* * *

CaldeonPOV

The days seemed to get longer and slower. The hallucinations got worse for all of us, I would see bright swirling colors and one day I was tariffed to see the company becoming undead beasts and I almost fainted.

One day we found that we had gone in circles the whole day. We were all so tired that we decided to take a break. There was something about that place felt out-of-place, it was cold and if possible the air was even stuffier. The spider webs were more concentrated. My hand-made its way to my bow I knocked it and this caught the attention of the company.

"What's wrong?" said Bofur, I hushed him. A small movement and sound caught my attention.

I turned back when I heard Ori cry out, I saw a large hairy black spider baring its fangs. I shot but missed because of a painful nip on my neck.

Saliva foamed in my mouth and my body went numb, I couldn't even feel my self hitting the ground. My eye sight started to darken, my only sense was my hearing because I could hear my father's yells.

* * *

The webbing was torn away and my eyes slowly focused but my body didn't respond."Caldeon! Caldeon! Dammit wake up!" Dwalin forcefully shook me into awareness. He picked me up and settled me on my feet.

The spider venom was still in my veins, being pumped through my body with every beat of my heart. It made my muscles burn with weakness and made my head feel like it was stuffed with cotton. When I fought the spiders, I fought on adrenalin alone.

I took my daggers and drove them into the monsters, they let out an ear piecing scream before dying. Thorin ran to me eminently to protect me (which I didn't need). Together we took down any spider that came close.

I stabbed my daggers into the beady eyes of the dark creatures. Terror came over me as I felt the hairy legs of a spider wrapped around, pulling me up. Thorin easily struck it down with Orcrist.

"This way! Run! Run!." he yelled. I ran and ran. Another spider was in our way. Thorin raised his sword defensively. A half moment later it screamed and died, a person slid down on the rope of silk, slid underneath a branch and appeared in front of my father's face.

With his arrow fixed at Thorin's nose he said," Do not think I won't kill you dwarf." he spat out the last word as if it had a horrible flavor. I recognized him as Prince Legolas. I stepped forward to counsel him but when I took a step the distinctive sound of creaking bows filled the atmosphere.

_"_**Peace my friends.**" I said With my hands in the air.

"**Caldeon**." said the prince."**Where are you going with dwarves?**"

**"I will not betray my friends' trust by revealing their destination."** I small ring of mocking chuckles echoed around me, I tried to keep my head up even though I felt very insecure.

Legolas sported his own sly grin as he pulled the arrow away,**"So you call dwarves your friends now? You were always a strange one."** Then he said to his company,**"Search them, unarm them, and bind them."** I heard the grunts of the dwarves as they were pushed, prodded, and searched. I knew it would be easier just to hand over my weapons then to have them forced out of my hand.

I gave them my daggers and my borrowed bow and quiver to one guard. I was surprised when they bound my friends yet they left my wrists free of any restraint. **"Why are my hands left unbound while all of my other friends must be tied."** I asked.

**"You are a messenger of Rivendell and a guest, you will have only a guard."** Legolas responded.

I don't know why I did what I did next, I guess I felt as though my bond with Thorin was being denied or maybe I felt weak that I wasn't deemed a large enough threat that needed to be restrained. Another thing I didn't know was what this next action would do to me until much later.

**"Well if you deem that my father should be bound, why shouldn't I, the daughter, not be bound?"** I said.

When I said father another echo in common tongue rotated about us.

Legolas' eyes widened in curiosity. "Father." he said. I saw Throin stiffen and his eyes harden over Legolas' shoulder. Legolas followed my gaze and realization flooded his features. "Father." he repeated. He reached to find my braid, he rolled the bead between his thumb and forefinger and found the crest of Durin marked in the silver. This caught the attention of the company, they were surprisingly silent and still. Legolas leaned next to my ear and whispered,"You agreed to this?"

"Yes." I responded. He stepped away for a moment to speak with the captain of the guard Tauriel. After their discussion he grabbed a length if rope and bound my hands in front of me. Thorin started to fight three elven soldiers when I was lead away by a leash connected to my wrists. I knew he would get me or himself hurt if he continued,"I'll be fine."

**"They are to return to the palace unharmed and un****spoiled."** said Legolas. He lead me to a clearing where a large beautiful elk stood in waiting. Legolas grabbed my waist and lifted me onto the saddle, he climbed on behind me and grabbed the reins.

"Why are you separating me from my friends?" I asked as the elk began to move.

"If you refused to reveal the destination of the dwarves what are the chances they will without any...encouragement. Let's see what Thorin Oakenshield will do to get his daughter back."

"So you're holding me ransom." I said knowing the truth.

"I guess you could think of it that way." Legolas said as if it was nothing.

"You're starting to sound like your father."

"Thank you."

"It wasn't a compliment and you know it." I said, I felt his arms tense around me.

* * *

**I feel like the plot is going to go skyward from now on. Please review i like to hear what you say.**


	13. A Hostage

**Brief adult language(very brief) **

ThranduilPOV

There he stood. Road beaten rags covered in webs over his proud body. His eyes burnt in a blue fire of shame and rage.

Thorin Oakenshield, forced to kneel before me.

"Now what would Thorin Oakenshield be doing in my kingdom," I said.

"My company and I are journeying to the Iron Hills, it is a simple journey. It is also much easier to travel through your kingdom than around it," said Thorin as he rose from his knee.

"If you were making a simple journey then you wouldn't need to keep it a secret," I rose from my throne to circle him.

"The leader of the party that captured us didn't ask," He said confused.

"He asked Caldeon," Thorin tensed. "She said that she wouldn't betray her friends' trust," I paused behind him. "Apparently what she meant was that she wouldn't betray her father." Thorin whipped around to search for my motives in my eyes.

"How long has Caldeon of the blood of Deerdal been Caldeon of the line of Durin?" I asked with a sneer.

"Three weeks," he answered apprehensively.

"You choose the wrong time to adopt, seeing as I could use her," rage filled Thorin's eyes while a smirk covered my mouth.

"I swear to Mahal, if you touch h-."

"I can do what I please with her," I interrupted. "She is a prisoner."

"She is a child and my daughter," he pleaded, I made my way back to my throne.

"You dwarves refused to listen," I lowered myself onto my seat. "She is a prisoner." The fire in Thorin's eyes never faltered, but his posture slowly hunched is despair. "I have a proposition for you dwarf."

"What?" he growled, I noticed that his hands were balled in fists.

"It is quiet simple. You or one of your company members tells me your destination, and I release you, your company, and your child," his eyes showed a few horrible marks of hope."But. Until then you and Caldeon will be separated, I will give you the mercy of knowing her condition, but I can not promise it will be the truth." The hope died and he stayed silent. "What say you?"

"I say._ Ishkhaqwi ai durugnul!" _He ran to the throne with open hands to strangle me. Guards grabbed his arms and dragged him back to the dungeons. The last thing I heard from him was an angry shout."Leave her alone!" And still I had no sympathy in my cold heart.

"Bring me Caldeon," the guard bowed and left.

She was brought to me a few minutes later. She had been bathed and clothed. Her hair had been taken out of the thick braid and was brushed smooth down her back. A straight silver circlet was placed over her forehead. Hey face was calm as she entered the throne room, but her eyes were steely. The burgundy gown she wore flowed under her as she curtsied deeply.

"Caldeon," I said.

"Your grace."

"Legolas has told me that you refused to tell him about your destination."

"He tells the truth," she said proudly.

"Why?"

"Because Thorin had kept the destination a secret to many, I do not see how you would be an exception."

"And you seem to be a liar too, you keep it a secret because he is your father." I rose to walk up to her.

"Because I am loyal to him and he returns the loyalty tenfold," she said as if it were true.

"You know of the dragon sickness, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Madness runs in that family girl. Thorin Oakenshield will fall to it and that bond you call loyalty will snap in his hand like a twig," I said as I looked down at her.

The shimmer of her necklace caught my eye. I hooked a finger through the chain. I examined the Phoenix charm. It was known to many in this area of the world that Thorin made this as a token of love to Caldeon's ancestor. My hands moved up the chain to the clasp on the back of her neck. Goosebumps appeared on her skin where my cold hands grazed her flesh. I undid the clasp.

When I pulled way her eyes were closed and her breath was erratic. "Open your eyes." She did. They were like stones in a shallow pond of water. I made a great show of dropping the gold trinket over the side if the great platform we were on.

I walked back to her, her eyes stayed fixed on the place where her necklace fell. I pushed a lock of her golden hair behind her ear. Her claiming braid was revealed. Evenly braid strands of gold clasped with a silver bead etched with the endless knot of Durin. "Poor girl, even at your age you still don't know where your loyalties lie." I said as I rolled the bead.

I strode to the daïs at the base if the throne where a small knife was hidden in a camouflaged compartment. I walked up to her with the blade in hand, she took a step back only to step into the metal armor of a guard who held onto her shoulders tightly.

One hand found its way to the end of the braid attached to her neck, she shivered and craned her neck away, but it only gave me better access. She brought her hands up to push the blade away and the guard snatched them away with one hand and pinned them behind her back.

"It would be best if you didn't struggle. I don't want to hurt you," I commanded.

Tears started to run down her cheeks. She didn't fully sob, but one by one tears made shiny rivers on her cheeks. "Please stop," she begged, her voice was deceivingly steady but her eyes showed her pain.

The blade pressed against her skin and she shuddered. The blade was so sharp that a quick flick of my wrist was enough to cut off the braid. Caldeon lost her fight, her knees buckled and she collapsed.

I beckoned a guard forward and handed him the lock of hair,"Have this placed in front of Oakenshield's cell just out if his reach," I ordered. The guard left with a quick bow.

I looked down at the girl at my feet, her head was low and even though she wasn't crying I could hear her pitiful wet gasps. I bent down to capture her chin in my hand, tilting her head up I could see the sad anger woven in her face and eyes. "Tell me now, where do your loyalties lie?"

When I asked her this she ripped her head out of my grip."Most defently not with you," she spat with renewed vigor.

She turned her head when I went to stroke her cheek. "Wrong answer," I said warningly. I straighten and looked down at the small girl."Get up," I commanded. When she didn't get up quick enough I gestured to the guard to quicken her pace. He hooked his arms under her armpits and hulled her to her feet and she yelped.

I walked pass them to the steps that lead out of the throne room. The guard pushed Caldron forward and she stumbled to regain her footing. I lead them through the great palace until we reached an expanse of stairs that lead up.

At the top were a series of wooden doors with heavy locks on the door knobs. The guard unlocked the first door and shoved Caldeon inside. We were in the high towers ment to hold prisoners either too high in rank or not as great of a threat to be in the lower dungeons.

"Stay outside," I order the guard. I sat on the small cot. The rooms here were a lot cozier then the dungeons, there was a dresser, a mirror, a chair, a small study, and even a window (though it was barred). "You do realize why you are here?"

"To be a hostage against my father," she said bitterly as she sat in the chair.

"No," I said sarcasticly."You are a bargaining tool that I can use with your 'father'," I explained in mocking kindness.

"I don't see the difference," she said, she refused to make eye contact with me.

"What you think you are or what your father thinks you are doesn't bother me. All that matters is what I _know _you are, you are a prisoner. And that's why you are going to do what I say when I say it," I said in a more threatening tone.

"Or what?" she said smugly as she looked at me. "You won't hurt me."

"Are you so sure?" her defiance fell slowly from her face."And if not you then who else? Your company maybe? I can make them hurt and you know it. For you are all my prisoners and your fates lay in my hand," I said as a stood over her, her head was bowed.

"Why can't you leave me alone?" she said in quiet voice as she looked down again.

I leaned over her and made her look at me. "My dear girl," I pushed her hair away to reveal the shell of her ear.I whispered,"You are alone." I left her on the chair and had the door locked.

* * *

ThorinPOV

I struggled wildly against the guards, I needed to get to Caldeon, she needed me. "Leave her alone!" I yelled. The guards pushed my head down but my struggles just continued. I kicked out and hit one guard in the shin. He let me go with a shout.

I had only one thought on my mind, Caldeon. The remaining guard still had a hand on me, I writhed to get away from him, he brought his fist down on my temple. I was severely dazed and I lost my balance quickly. Reinforcement guards came to help restrain my arms with rope.

They dragged me down to the dungeons, I heard the company yell in alarm. The guards sliced the rope off my wrists then shoved me into my waiting cell.

"What happened?" I heard from Kili.

"They took Caldeon away. The god damn King of the tree shaggers is holding her hostage for information," I said as if I was swallowing poison, something that had to be done but one would rather spit it out. The company took a moment to soak in all the details. I sat deep in the corner of the cell with my head on the wall so I wouldn't have to look at them.

"She'll be fine," said Dwalin. "She's a tough lass."

"That she is. But Thranduil will do anything to get what he wants," I said in despair.

I sat in silence for a half hour until a guard came. I thought he was coming to take one of us to talk with Thranduil, but instead he stopped in front of my cell and placed something on the ground then left.

I rushed to the bars to see what it was. I eminently recognized Caldeon's yellow hair woven into a braid, the hair I wove. Rage filled my chest and I saw red. I reached through the bars desperately. I could only barely touch a single golden strand, I pulled back in frustration.

"What is it?!" Fili panicked.

"It's Caldeon's braid!" I yelled. Everyone who was sitting stood up in anger.

"The shity bastard!" said Dwalin, ever since I adopted her Dwalin had become very protective of Caldeon.

I kicked the cell doors and yelled at no one in particular,"Dammit what did you do to her?!" I kicked and shoved the iron bars until my shoulder and feet hurt.

"AAARRR!" I sunk down and hit my head against the bars. I let a few treacherous sobbing gasps escape my lips.

I let the elves take her. I let them take something precious from her. I deserve the humiliation of having my friends and enemies watch me sob.

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	14. Punishment

**Evil elves and hurt dwarf**

TaurielPOV

I enjoyed talking to Kili. Most of the time we would speak of the beauties of the night sky, but some times we would talk about our families and childhood. I felt pleasantly venerable talking about my family.

My parents died when I was 100 and my brother had died only 50 years later. I felt needles in the back of my eyes and only when tears fell was the pressure relived. Kili would reach out his hand to touch me and comfort me. I loved the feeling of his touch.

I went to him that night late, we actually sat there for a long time before we started talking. "Do have heaven lights in Ered Luin?" I asked.

"It depends on what they are, you have different names of things," he responded.

"Lights. Green waves of light all throughout the sk-"

"Let me go! Please! Stop!" a scream interrupted me. I heard the sudden shuffle of the dwarves standing in alarm.

"What was that?" Kili asked.

Another scream. "Caldeon!" yelled Oakenshield. I left without another word.

I sprinted down the steps to the source of the wailing and struggling. I turned a corner to see Caldeon fighting against three guards. "Let me go!" she yelled,"Please!"

"Caldeon stop," I said trying to reason with her. She didn't stop. I noticed she wasn't struggling in any sort of direction. She was fighting to escape being restrained. "Let her go."

"She is trying to escape," said a guard.

"Let. Her. Go," I said. Caldeon gave one final tug with her arms and she was released. The guards eminently reached for their swords should she try to run again.

"The king would want to see her," said another guard, he wore a victorious grin that made me angry.

"He would," I said to him with cold eyes. "But I am the captain of the guard and I say I would want to see you at your posts." None of them moved,"Now." They dispersed.

I walked to Caldeon who hadn't moved and had her head down. I gently pushed her head up to look me in the eye,"I am going to take you back to your cell now," I explained.

"I know," she said miserably. I put my hand on her shoulder and stirred her to the tower.

When we returned she sat down on the cot and crossed her arms and out her head down. She looked terribly downhearted. "Are you ok?" I asked as I sat down next to her.

"Yeah," she said. We sat in relative silence. Wonder started to dart around my brain and curiosity sparked here and there.

"How did you get out?" I asked leaning in close.

Caldeon shank further into herself,"Don't make me say."

I leaned back out,"I won't, just curious."

I saw how tired she was, there were bags under her eyes and her posture was weak. She had been in the tower for a week now, the only person she would see would be the servant who came to bring her food and drink.

She suddenly crying, she gasped."I just wanted to see him," she said. "I didn't care if my hands had to be ripped off the bars when they came for me I just wanted to see my father."

I gathered her in my arms, I slowly felt her tears wet my tunic." I can stay here if you want, we could talk. You wouldn't need to be alone."

"I would like that," she whispered.

She calmed down but I still held her. It was late and she was exhausted, I laid her down and tucked her into bed.

I stood to go to the door, I stopped and looked at the lock. It was bashed in and damaged beyond any quick and easy repair. I turned around and saw the chair, it had nicks and chips on the legs and back. She broke the lock.

I turned the knob and took the lock with me to get it repaired. I took a lock from another cell and locked the cell door. It pained me to do this to her.

The next day I came to her at lunch and brought two bowls of soup. We talked and laugh for a while. We stopped though when the door opened, Legolas came in with a stern look on his face. "Caldeon, the king wishes to speak with you," he said. Caldeon tensed and stiffly strode to the door. Legolas took her shoulders and lead her out.

I picked up the bowls and left behind them.

* * *

ThranduilPOV

Caldeon's display of defiance couldn't be tolerated. I need her submissiveness to break Thorin.

She entered my chambers with her head high and proud, but I could see the fear in her soul. I dismissed Legolas so that we could be alone.

"That was a very foolish thing you did do you realize that," I said. She stayed still and silent. This girl refused to do anything I wanted, that was going to have to change. I touched the place where her braid used to be. I felt her tense under my hand. "Nothing to say?" I asked mockingly.

Her lack of reaction made me frustrated. I still had my hand on the place, suddenly I brought my hand down on her cheek. She yelped and stumbled. I hooked my fingers around her chin and made her look at me. "That was the first part of your punishment but I think you need to know that what you won't come back _just _to hurt you."

She yanked herself away from me,"Please don't, I'll do what ever you want just don't -"

"I told what would happen if you disobey me," I said. "I thought 'no escaping' as rule might be a given, but apparently you are foolish enough not to know that." She flinched at my insult.

"What are you going to do, will you at least give me that mercy?" she said in a defeated voice.

Her acceptance to reality sunk in and this made me smirk. "No, I will not give you that mercy. You will find out later tonight."

* * *

FiliPOV

I was jolted awake when several bloody guards came into my cell. I jumped to my feet To put up a fight if I needed to. "What do you want?" I said, drops of uneasiness fell into my stomach. The guards were as silent as ghosts as they bound my wrists behind my back with chains and shackled my feet.

I struggled the whole time. In doing this I awoke the company. "What's going on?" "Fili?" I heard them say. I was dragged out of my cell, down the steps to the center of the dungeons so that everyone could see. I was circled by a ring of elven guards.

I tried to stand, but my feet got tangled in the chains. The ring tightened around me. I was breathing faster now and fear filled my chest.

A yelp escaped my lips when I was yanked to my feet only to be shoved to another part of the circle. I fell into the arms of an elf and was pushed to the ground. The hard stone collided with my side and the breath was lost to me. The first kick came to my stomach.

* * *

CaldeonPOV

The long walk to the dungeons was torturous, Thranduil kept his nasty hand on my shoulder. We stopped at the top of thee stairs that lead to the cells. Here no one from the cells could see me but I could see the dozens upon dozens of cells.

The king leaned down to whisper in my ear,"Remember, you want to stay quiet at a performance, or else you disturb the performers."

The guards that joined us made their way to a single cell. I couldn't see who was in it. "What do you want?" I heard. Fili. No no no.

"Please stop this," I begged for the last time.

"The answer is still the same," said Thranduil.

I watched as Fili was dragged out of his cell in chains. My knees started to shake. The guards wrapped around him, pulled him to his feet, pushed him, and kicked him. A gasp fell from my lips as a grunt fell from his.

More kicks came from all around and the grunts became more pronounced. The dwarves yelled and called out for their kinsmen. I tried to lunge forward but Thranduil snaked an arm around my waist. "Whatever you do will fall on his shoulders," he hissed in my ear.

* * *

FiliPOV

I tried to curl into a ball to protect my self, but kicks on my back prevented me from doing so. The pain flooded everywhere, my stomach, my back, my ribs felt like they were bruised.

They pulled me up after a while. I couldn't stand up on my own. I barely had a moment of peace before a fist struck my cheek, I heard a yelp that didn't come from my mouth. Each guard had a turn and each did something different. Some hit my face, some punched my still sore stomach, one brought me down on his knee making me gasp and feel sick.

I only barely registered the company and their distress. It was hard to register anything except the pain.

* * *

CaldeonPOV

I shouldn't have cried. I wasn't the one being beaten within an once of my life. Yet I cried. I cried because I should be beaten for causing Fili's pain. "Shhh, little one," said Thranduil. "Now you what will happen if you disobey me so this won't have to happen again. Yes? I don't give away empty threats."

I could barely focus on his words, I knew that if I listened too close I would just hate my self even more.

They stopped kicking Fili and instead they punched him in the face. "Fi-!" the elf king's hand clamped over my mouth.

"You just have to watch, dear. No talking or will I have him whipped as well," ice-cold fear trickle down my spine, I knew what the burn of the whip feels like. I shook my head 'no' but Thranduil still kept his hand over my mouth.

* * *

FiliPOV

Somehow in the flood of pain that swirled in my head one thought was born,'why.' Why me? Why now? Why like this?

These guards were having too much fun then they should. They laughed and sneered and encourage each other. These elves were probably told from birth to hate dwarves. They started taunting me in their own smooth language, then in common tongue.

"I thought dwarves were made of stone, but you are just as weak as men."

"Yeah, weak-minded, and can't take a little pain."

"Or maybe it's just the males that are that tough. Are you female dwarfling?"

I didn't answer.

"Yeah tell us," one slapped me.

"I guess we have to find out for ourselves," I felt bile come up my throat at the thought.

"I bet if we get rind of all this hair we could see," he ran his hand over my cheek in a mocking caress. Now just pure cold fear spread throughout my body, I willed up my strength to get free.

They thought of my struggling like a fly, annoying but could be dealt with. It was when I heard a knife being drawn did my struggling became more violent. They pushed me down and one straddled my chest with a knife.

* * *

CaldeonPOV

They couldn't cut his hair. I twisted my body to try to get away from Thranduil.

It was when they pushed Fili to the floor did I become more desperate. I bit down on Thranduil's hand and stomped on his foot at the same time. He released me with am I unmanly and I ran to get to Fili.

"Fili!" I yelled. I was so close that I was sure that the whole company could see me. My eyes connected with the young durin's. His lip was split and his eyes were blackening.

I was so close, but a force came from behind me and pinned me to the ground. My wrists were pulled behind me. "Caldeon you shouldn't have done that," I heard Legolas whisper in my ear. I knew I shouldn't have.

Both Fili and I were thrown over the backs of guards and taken out of the dungeons. Fili had lost the strength to struggle again after his brief show of strength and fell into semi-unconsciousness. But I kept up my fight like my life depended on it.

The commotion the dwarves were making was deafening. I could Kili yelling and crying in vain for his brother. "Caldeon!" I heard. I looked up to see Throin banging like a wild animal on the bars.

"Father!" I yelled back. But by that time I was out of the dungeons. The guard threw me down at the king's feet. I felt suddenly small again, but I stood to banish the feeling away.

"Foolish child!" Thranduil yelled. He struck me and pain radiated of my cheek. When I stood back up again I saw his eyes trained on Fili, then to me. "I told you," he said as he pushed his face up to mine. "I don't give empty threats." His robes swished about him as he turned away and I was pushed to walk.

* * *

FiliPOV

I was waken up by a bucket of cold splashing over me. I was in a room lit up by candles and torches. My head was pounding, I brought my hand up to rub but found I couldn't. I arms were bound to either side of the wall. I looked I front of me, Caldeon was chained to the wall with a blindfold. Thranduil was next to her along with two other guards.

The elf king leaned down to Caldeon's ear a talked to her in his language, all the while he kept his beady eyes on me. He untied the dark cloth and she eminently struggled when she saw me. "I'm so sorry," she sobbed.

"Caldeon, what's going on?" I asked as calmly as I could.

"You are here to serve as an example," said Thranduil, I felt a sneer of disgust cross my face. "Caldeon needs to know what happens when she does things she's not suppose to."

He took a looped up whip from a hook off of the wall and handed it to a guard. "What? Don't have the balls to do it yourself?" I said.

He smirked and said,"No I would be delighted to use that whip and do it exactly as I want it. But I think it's more entertaining to watch both of your reactions at once."

Then he leaned against the wall,"Begin." The whip dragged between my shoulder blades, through my shirt, my skin, and into the muscle.

* * *

CaldeonPOV

I knew there was nothing I could do. But I cried out every time the whip came down. The first few Fili bit his lip and stifled grunts. But soon he was crying out with me. "I'm sorry! Please! Stop! Has it not been enough?! I'll do what you say! Just stop!" I kept crying. Blood was running down my wrists from my struggling.

"Stop," Thranduil finally said. Fili's knees gave out and he was supported only by the chains. Thranduil ordered for us to be unbound, I went to catch Fili but the guard held me back. "Take him to the healers." Fili was taken out, then I was in a different direction.

Thranduil took me all the way to my cell. He shut the door after saying,"It can or can not happen again, but that's for you to decide."

* * *

FiliPOV

I don't remember going to the healers, but they bandaged me up well. I was taken back to my cell an. I just wanted to sleep. The company though were curious and wanted to know what had happened that night.

I told them that the elf king was using us as hostages for Caldeon's behavior. And that her stunt yesterday am him angry.

"I just want to sleep," I told them.

"You'll need it,lad," I heard from Balin. I laid down on the cot and pulled the thin blanket. I told myself that when we get out I would make sure that Caldeon didn't blame herself for my pain, I hope she wouldn't rip herself apart about for the time being.

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	15. Starvation

CaldeonPOV

This room with four walls hates me as much as I hate it. The more my want to escape from it increases the more attacks on my mind comes from it. It traps me in a sea of my guilt. I ask the servant that brings my meals everyday on Fili's condition, sometimes he says that he can't tell, but recently he has just stayed silent.

But here alone in a room with Thranduil, I wish nothing more than to go away even back to the cell.

The king sat in front of me in a tall wooden chair that matched to one I was seated in. For a while we didn't talk, just glared at each other.

Even long before these last couple of weeks I never liked him. He was greedy and vain. But what I never liked the way he could look beyond the lenses of the eye and into the back of the brain to every thought and care and fear. When I was younger I tried to replicate this ability and failed.

"You are a strong young woman," he said suddenly. "I give the same power as the rest of your friends to tell where you are going, yet you still don't. You could be praised by them, knowing that you were the one grant them their freedom."

I shook my head,"And yet in your age you think that dwarves would praise me for giving away a secret."

He smiled. He looked like he was about to say something when a knock came from the door. "Come in," he said.

Servants came into the room holding silver platters, they placed them on the table between myself and the king then left. The table seemed to be steaming with all the food. Rolls, salads, and many different types of game littered the table. I felt my mouth start to water at all the delicacies

"Enjoy," said Thranduil as he started to consume his dinner. I hesitantly reached for a roll but stopped short from touching it. The king noticed and said,"It isn't poisoned or drugged if that is what you are so afraid about."

"It is not that and I'm not afraid."

"You are a bad liar."

"Not a horrible thing to be called."

"Then tell me the truth on your lack of thanks to my generosity."

I stopped to think for a moment. I didn't want to anger him but I couldn't eat the food of royalty while my friends sat in cells. "Have any of my friends been offered the same?"

"No."

"Then I can not accept as long as there is not just one dwarf eating at the table with us," I said as confidently as possible. I tried to stop the hunger that rolled in my stomach, lunch had been smaller than usual.

Thranduil nodded,"Guards!" he called. They came beside me and I stood. "You will not have your evening meal tonight nor your morning or midday tomorrow," he said as I was led out.

* * *

The routine was the same every night for a week. I became so thin I couldn't even feel hunger anymore, it was just a constant sharp pain. My ribs were showing.

I wondered how far I would go before I was stuffing food in my mouth like an animal. I wondered how far Thranduil would let this go before shoving food down my throat.

I spent most of the time sleeping. "Caldeon. Caldeon," I heard a whisper. I opened my eyes and to my shock I saw Bilbo.

"Bilbo?"

* * *

BilboPOV

"Shit, I must be seeing things now," Caldeon mumbled. Her eyes started closing again.

"No no no. Stay awake," I said frantically. That kept her from falling asleep again.

"Bilbo? How?"

"I found a magic ring in the goblin tunnels that makes me invisible," I explained. Her eye flickered with curiosity. "I've seen what you've done. You need to eat something."

"Have you told Thorin?"

"No, I can if you want me to."

She shook her head no.

"Ok," I said. I stroked her hair gently.

"Bilbo, I can't do this anymore," she said as tears ran down her face.

"You don't have to."

"It's not the food, Bilbo. It's this room, Thranduil. It's. It's. It's."

"Shhh," I held her hand as she cried.

With my acute hearing I suddenly heard someone coming up the steps. "Caldeon, someone's coming I'm still going to be here just invisible remember." She nodded. I slipped on the ring and my world became a sea of rolling color.

Thranduil came through the door with a pile of cloths in his hands. "Caldeon, how have you been?" he said as if we were in a market square. "Tonight's dinner is going to be special, I think you'll like it. So I brought a new dress for the occasion."

Caldeon stood obediently and stiffly and touched the cloth. "I'll help get into it," said Thranduil. Rage coursed through my veins at his words.

Again as if under a spell Caldeon went to mirror and slowly stripped herself of her clothing, I started to wonder he has asked her to do this before. I wanted to look away but I was caught in the horror of her skinniness. I was able to count every rib and vertebrae she had.

The worse part was that Thranduil looked at her without giving her any modestly. He stood behind her and looked in her eyes through the mirror. He then took his cold hand and placed it on a rib. Caldeon shivered and closed her eyes tightly.

Thranduil continued his way down tapping every rib as he did until he rested his hands on her protruding hipbone. I was resisting every urge to stab the pervert through with sting.

"Why do you do this to yourself?" he whispered in Caldeon's ear. He finally removed his hand and started to cloth her in an expensive purple dress. The last thing he put on her was a leather waist clincher that was buttoned as far as it would go and was still a centimeter too big for her.

"Come now," the king said as he offered his arm, she looked at it before resting her hand on it. They left and I followed.

* * *

TauielPOV

After the night his brother got hurt I came to see Kili less and less. Tonight was one of those rare nights. We didn't talk much of all but it wasn't a nice silence. "How is Caldeon?" Kili asked suddenly.

I saw her once when she was resting, even asleep she looked exhausted. I couldn't see much but I saw that she had less meat on her arms then normal. According to Legolas she has just been getting worse.

I couldn't bring myself to tell Kili that, so I smiled and lied. "As fine as can be expected. She is still shaken up about what happened to your brother." He nodded in understanding which made feel even more guilty.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a few guards heading toward a cell. I tried not respond to it, but I couldn't stop the instinctive twitch of my ears at the sudden sound. "What's going on?" Kili asked.

A cell door was opened. A few moments of struggling and dwarvish curses later, the tattooed and bald-headed dwarf came out. "Mister Dwalin!" said Kili,"Tauirel, what is going on?"

"I don't know."

* * *

DwalinPOV

The elves took me out of my cell and dragged me to a room with a high ceiling and a large dinning table. There was already half a dozen covered silver platters on the table.

The elves shoved me into a chair and chained me to it with enough slack for me to reach the plate just in front of me.

The blonde elf prince seated himself at one end of the table. "What kind of game ya king's playin'?" the little twerp just stayed silent.

A few minutes later the doors opened. King Thranduil strode in with Caldeon at his side. I hadn't seen the girl since we arrived and I was shocked by her condition.

She had always been skinny but now she looked like she was made entirely of skin and bone, the dress she wore accented her sickly figure, the waist clincher only added to the horrifying picture. Her eyes were downcast and distant. When she looked at me nothing seemed to change in her emotions.

Thranduil sat her down in the chair directly across from me before seating himself in his own. He picked up a roll in his long fingers before tearing it and eating it.

The food here was different from that of Rivendell. It looked more appetizing, I felt an itch in my muscles to grab something and eat it. But I saw Caldeon's lack of excitement in the feast before her and stopped myself from indulging especially since she looked like she hadn't eaten in days.

"Caldeon, I have done everything you have asked of me for you to eat so it is time for you to hold up your end," the king said.

As much as I hate Thranduil I knew he was right. I leaned forward in my seat and said to her,"Ya need to eat, lass."

Slowly she reached out for a piece of bread and hesitantly placed it in her mouth. She showed remarkable control as she grabbed at the bread and a few strips of some sort of fowl.

I was eating at the same pace of her, the food was good but I still didn't want it. The table was mostly quiet.

Caldeon stopped eating after while and started to look green. "Don't you dare let my father give up," she said. Worry swept through me. She moaned in discomfort. I twisted in my chains trying to get free.

Caldeon pushed herself up but collapsed, that's when I attempted to stand up fully, but was yanked down.

I strained to see her, but when I heard her retch I stopped trying. The food had been to rich for her sensitive stomach. I finally fell over in my struggles as the prince carried her out bridal style.

I writhed on the floor until I saw some shiny fabric in my face. I looked up to see Thranduil staring down at me. I glared back and said,"We are going to kill you for this."

The corner of his mouth twitched up. "She did this to herself, she refused her meals. You are going to remind your king of our deal that still stands. Guards!" They picked me up and lead me to the dungeons.

I yanked my arms in the chains all the way down. The elves pushed me in and locked the door quickly behind me. I charged them and banged my shoulder against the iron. "What happened?" I heard.

"Caldeon's starvin' herself!" I told them. Everyone went silent except for Thorin who cursed loudly before hitting his own cell door. "I guess she refused meals until one of us ate with her, she ate but the food was too rich and she vomited," I explained further.

"This is too much I have to tell him," Thorin said in defeat.

"She told me that you can't give up now," I told him.

* * *

LegolasPOV

I carried Caldeon as gently as I could back to her tower. She moaned as I placed back in the bed. "Are you going to vomit again?" I asked.

"Nothing left," she stated flatly

I was about to leave before a thought came to my mind,"If I brought you food tomorrow, would you eat it," I asked.

She nodded weakly with her eyes closed.

The next day I brought her some broth and I feed it to her. I left with an empty bowl and she thanked me.

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	16. Escape

BilboPOV

I had read stories of elves and their sensitive senses. Seeing beyond the stars, the sixth sense of danger. But the only one I was worried about was their hearing. I didn't want to have all hope lost to this quest merely because of my beating heart. It thumped against my chest at every shadow, every noise.

I held the keys in a white knuckle grip so that they wouldn't smack together. I walked heel to toe and tried not to run to keep my feet from slapping the ground.

I made my way slowly up the steps to Caldeon. I fitted the key into to hole, it didn't seem to want to corporate. I gently maneuvered the key in the lock before it finally clicked open. The door slowly opened with an unwanted creek. Caldeon stood at the back wall looking slightly scared. I haven't seen her since she had her final dinner with Thranduil (which was only two days ago) and I was happy to not be seeing skin and bone.

The fear in her eyes discouraged me, I was only then did I realize I still had on my ring. I slipped it off and walked to her without another word. My hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her toward the door.

"Bilbo where are we going?"

"Out."

* * *

ThorinPOV

The sun streamed through the dungeons, mocking our sour mood. My thoughts drifted to my daughter. I after my nightmare later that evening I haven't slept. Sometimes I find myself drifting and receiving haunting images of Caldeon, dying, crying of starvation. Myself chained to a dark wall oblivion, watching and screaming for her. When I come flying back to my senses I find myself thinking that my dreams were just a inch from being true.

A sudden jingle and some gasps in disbelief awoke me from my terrifying trance. Gazing out of my cell I saw the back of a small person, some more ignorant would see and child, but I saw a hobbit with so much luck that it was funny. Small childish bubbles of laughter stirred in my chest at our good fortune.

When Bilbo came to unlock my cell I hurried to my questions. "How have you gone all these weeks without being seen? How are we escaping? Where is Caldeon?"

"I will answer everything in good time, Caldeon is standing guard," he responded with haste before moving to the last cell that held Dwalin.

We followed Bilbo down huge flight of stairs. The warmth of hope spread through my body when I saw the familiar wheat colored hair of my sweet Caldeon. I quickly advanced toward her. I embraced her and she gently wrapped her arms around me. I took this quick chance to assess her figure. She was too thin, that was all I could make out.

When we let go of each other she looked to Bilbo. "They're still passed out," she said. Bilbo nodded and continued around the corner.

The corridor opened up to a large wooden room bathed in a honey colored glow. Bilbo pressed a finger to his lips, then pointed over to a table where two elves slept slumped over on a table.

We tiptoed over to Bilbo where he stood anxiously. There was a precarious pile of empty open wooden casks we all eyed them with suspicion. "Ok. Now into the barrels," He said confirming my fears.

"What?! Your insane! Do you honestly believe that they wouldn't catch us?!" said multiple voices of the company.

"Quiet!" I commanded quietly. When the company quieted I thought for a moment. We really didn't have any other choice for escape at the moment. "Do as he says."

We all crawled into the barrels, and waited ,"What now," asked Bofur. Bilbo quickly hushed him and walked to a lever.

"Hold your breath."

I felt my stomach in my throat as I plummeted into water.

* * *

CaldeonPov

Water found it's way down my throat and into my nose. When I came back to the surface I had trouble breathing. Gloin was right next to me and slammed on my back, I could see the water fly from my mouth. Looking around I could see that I wasn't the only one. When we were with Beorn, Fili, Kili, and Ori swam with me and were very strong swimmers, I don't know how good the others are at swimming.

The river was calm as we drifted downstream. We came to the light and my heart fekt like a lead weight as I heard the clear sound of an elvish horn rang clear in the morning air.

We turned a bend in the stream and came to a white stone gate which was slowly closing it's iron barred gates. One by one we collided with the gate and with each other.

Elves were gaining on us. Thorin was rattling the iron bars with all his might, it frightened me. I placed a hand on his arm. He looked back at me with wild eyes, they were the eyes of some desperate, caged animal. "You are not going back there," he said to me with such surety.

Screams made us look back. There were not just elves, but orcs. Some were tackling some dwarves. Thorin grabbed me to keep me from. "Don't look. Help me." I nodded and the pair of us fiddled with the hinges and locks, but it was all in vain.

I heard a pained scream that came directly above us. Thorin covered my ears. "KILI!" I heard Fili yell through the thick muscle of Thorin's hand. His grip lessened and I heard him whisper "Kili, no."

Kili and Fili alike have been my best friends even before I became their cousins. My heart felt cold at Fili's tortured screams. I didn't know if Kili was alive, dead, or worse.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I jumped when the gates opened. My barrel dropped 20 feet down a waterfall. Water covered my vision again.

This part of the river was stronger than the other, my barrel was tossed against the rocks and I feared that it would break. "Caldeon!" Dwalin yelled, he threw me a ax-like weapon that I used when an orc caught to close.

We came to a violent bend in the river, and I was thrown to the steep bank of the river. An orc jumped down from above and tackled my barrel afoul nd tossed my weapon away. I was forced to the bottom of the barrel. The foul thing scratched his nails on my face. But a powerful knock from a rock tossed the orc off.

I lifted my head out of the barrel at just the right moment. I hit my head on a low branch and my world went blank.

* * *

ThorinPOV

We had out run the elves and orcs a while ago and now we were loosing the current. "Make for the bank," I commanded. We dragged ourselves out of our barrels. "Head count."

"Kili." "Fili." "Balin." "Dwalin." "Gloin." "What? Oh. Oin." "Bofur." "Bombur." Bifir." "Ori." "Dori." "Nori." "Bilbo."

"Where is Caldeon?" I asked.

I looked in panic up and down the river. "Caldeon! Where are you!"

"Thorin, over there," Fili pointed out a barrel that was floating idly.

I leapt into the freezing water with Dwalin and Fili right behind me. We swam to the barrel. Caldeon was at the bottom of the barrel with her eyes closed.

Fili and I lifted her onto Dwlin's back we made our way down to the bank again and placed her gingerly onto the rocks. "Oin!"

The healer checked her over. "She is concussed. She will be fine but she needs to rest." Relief came over me at the news, concussions hurt like hell, but she will ok sooner or later. "Thorin, Kili was shot in the leg.'

"Bind it, quickly." The healer then left.

I lifted Caldeon into my arms and we were off.

**My summer has been busy and a new school doesn't help either. I get that this is not the best chapter, but it is more of a filler. I can't that the chapters will come at a constant rate but this story will not die**

**Please review. Any constructive criticism, on plot, or grammar is welcome. **


	17. TO BE OR NOT TO BE

**Do you guys truly want this story to continue. Please leave your comments. Yes. No. Criticism. Help. Anything.**

**I have another idea for a story in which Fili (Post-BOFA) is forced to be married. At the same time a new female creature comes out from the depths of Erebor. Fili/OC. Tell me what you think \**

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**COMMENTS END MIDNIGHT JAN 2015**


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